ControlAI is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to keep humanity in control of advanced AI by pushing governments to prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence.
ControlAI is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to keep humanity in control of advanced AI by pushing governments to prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence.
Active Grant Applications
- AppliedScaling ControlAI's parliamentary outreach across the G7 (excl. US).→grantmaking.ai· grantmaking.ai Launch Round· Applied Jul 13, 2026· $50,000 (up to $1,000,000)
What this application is for
What this project is
ControlAI’s goal is to prevent extinction risk from superintelligent AI (ASI) through an international agreement prohibiting the development of ASI. As a key part of this work, we systematically meet and brief lawmakers about AI extinction risk. A core distinction we draw for policymakers is: narrow AI has many benefits, but superintelligent systems that nobody can control should be prohibited.
In our experience, many lawmakers are unaware of AI risks, and without awareness they cannot act. Building this awareness is therefore a precondition for international cooperation on AI among all countries. So we directly speak with lawmakers to inform them about AI risks, and help them act.
People
Updated 07/14/26 · By grantmaking.aiTeam Member
Org Details
Updated 07/14/26 · By grantmaking.aiControlAI is a nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2023 and headquartered in London, UK, with an additional presence in Washington, D.C. In the UK it is structured as a company limited by guarantee; in the US it operates as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization was co-founded by Andrea Miotti, who serves as CEO, with involvement from Connor Leahy (CEO of Conjecture) and others from the AI safety community.
ControlAI's mission is to keep humanity in control by preventing the development of artificial superintelligence, which it believes poses an imminent extinction risk. The organization pursues an 'inside game' strategy focused on direct engagement with democratic institutions rather than public protest. Its core activities include developing policy legislation, briefing parliamentarians and policymakers, producing media and public education content, organizing coalitions, and equipping citizens to contact their representatives.
Its flagship policy framework, 'A Narrow Path' (also called the Direct Institutional Plan or DIP), proposes new international institutions, national AI Safety Institutes as independent regulators, and legislation to target ASI development and its precursor technologies. ControlAI authored draft bills for both the UK and the US.
Between September 2024 and early 2026, ControlAI delivered over 150 parliamentary briefings to cross-party UK lawmakers, resulting in more than 100 MPs and Lords publicly supporting their campaign on superintelligence risks. The organization has also briefed dozens of lawmakers in the US, Canada, and Germany, given expert testimony in hearings, and presented at the UK Prime Minister's office. An early high-profile campaign involved flying a blimp over the 2023 AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park.
ControlAI runs a Substack newsletter (controlai.news) with over 121,000 subscribers, produces viral videos in partnership with groups like Rational Animations, and maintains a microcommit platform for grassroots civic engagement. Their open letter calling for a ban on superintelligence has attracted signatures from Nobel laureates, leading AI researchers, faith leaders, and over 25,000 members of the public.
Theory of Impact
Updated 07/14/26 · By grantmaking.aiControlAI believes that superintelligent AI poses a credible extinction risk, and that the primary lever for averting this risk is democratic governance rather than technical research alone. Their theory of change is to shift the political and institutional landscape before superintelligence is developed: by educating and mobilizing lawmakers, civil society, and the public across key democracies, they aim to build the political will for binding international agreements and national legislation that prohibit or tightly regulate ASI development. Their Direct Institutional Plan maps a step-by-step path from current policy norms to enforceable global governance structures, with AI Safety Institutes as independent national regulators serving as a key intermediary institution.
Projects
Updated 07/14/26 · By grantmaking.ai
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