About Us

What We Do

Founded in 2017, the AI Now Institute produces diagnosis and policy research on artificial intelligence. We develop policy strategy to redirect away from the current trajectory: unbridled commercial surveillance, consolidation of power in very few companies, and a lack of public accountability.

In the years since its founding, AI Now has set the bar for discourse-shaping work that focuses on the social consequences of AI and the industry behind it.

AI Now’s leadership were invited to advise the US Federal Trade Commission on artificial intelligence in 2021, an honor that recognized the significance of the organization’s work, and an experience that has been both informative and provided a significant opportunity for impact.

As of mid-2022, AI Now is operating as an independent organization. As a policy research institute, our current approach is to:

Identify and capitalize on policy windows for movement

Advance narratives that illuminate a long term strategy for the field.

Catalyze energy toward action, working in close partnership with a broad coalition of allies.

Team

Amba Kak

Co-Executive Director

Sarah Myers West

Co-Executive Director

Frederike Kaltheuner

Senior EU and Global Governance Lead

Brian Merchant

Journalist-in-Residence

Jane Chung

Communications Advisor

Alix Dunn

Senior Advisor

Meredith Whittaker

Chief Advisor

Heidy Khlaaf

Chief AI Scientist

Funding

AI Now does not currently take funding from corporate donors, including tech companies whose practices and products our work is dedicated to examining. We strongly support independent, peer-reviewed research and the intellectual freedom and integrity of our community and scholars.

Our current funding comes from foundations, listed on this page. In general our funding is structured to support our broad research and policy goals and is not earmarked to specific projects nor does it shape nor dictate our research outcomes. We continue to be committed to unflinching and rigorous research into the social implications of artificial intelligence technologies and the institutions that develop and use them. We don’t allow our funders or the institutions with which we’re affiliated––past or present, corporate, foundation-based, or educational––to dictate our areas of research or influence our findings and recommendations. We believe our research outputs speak to this commitment.

AI Now is fiscally sponsored by Aspiration.