What Future of Life Institute does
The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a U.S.-based (501(c)(3)) nonprofit that aims to “steer transformative technology towards benefiting life and away from extreme large-scale risks.” It does this through a combination of (1) policy research and advocacy on emerging technology risks, (2) grantmaking to support independent work aligned with its mission, and (3) communications efforts intended to inform public and stakeholder discourse.
In the AI domain, FLI has focused on governance, safety evaluation, and public-facing accountability. A flagship output is its AI Safety Index, which publishes structured expert assessments of leading AI companies across multiple domains (including risk assessment, safety frameworks, governance/accountability, and information sharing), with the Summer 2026 edition collecting evidence up to June 3, 2026. FLI also convenes and contributes to policy processes around international AI “Safety Summits” (supporting hosts and participating countries with insights and recommendations).
FLI’s “Futures” and “Communications” work extends beyond technical safety research: it supports scenario and messaging efforts meant to shape expectations about how transformative technologies could play out, and it has launched major public initiatives intended to rally broad constituencies around pro-safety and pro-human governance themes (e.g., “Protect What’s Human”).