Founded in 2017, the AI Now Institute produces diagnosis and policy research on artificial intelligence.
AI Now develops policy strategies 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 provided a significant opportunity for impact.
As of mid-2022, AI Now is operating as an independent organization and does not accept funding from corporate donors, including the tech industry we aim to hold accountable. As a policy research institute, AI Now’s current approach is to identify and capitalize on actionable policy windows, advance narratives that chart a long term strategy for the field, and catalyze energy towards action in close partnership with a broad coalition of allies.
Team Members
Amba Kak
Co-Executive Director
Sarah Myers West
Co-Executive Director
Ellen Schwartz
Operations Director
Kate Brennan
Associate Director
Frederike Kaltheuner
Senior EU and Global Governance Lead
Heidy Khlaaf
Chief AI Scientist
Leevi Saari
EU Policy Fellow
Brian Merchant
Journalist-in-Residence
Meredith Whittaker
Chief Advisor
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.
Current Supporters
