What Simon Institute for Longterm Governance does
The Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) is a Geneva-based Swiss non-profit think tank focused on improving international cooperation on governing transformative technologies, with its current program emphasis on frontier AI diplomacy. SI’s core operating model combines (1) policy-relevant research that translates technical developments into actionable guidance for governments, (2) convening and exchange between technical and policy communities, and (3) direct education/briefings for diplomats and civil servants in Geneva and New York.
SI was launched in 2021 by co-founders Max Stauffer and Konrad Gerosa (formerly Konrad Seifert) to strengthen the multilateral system’s capacity to anticipate and mitigate global catastrophic risks, including those associated with emerging technologies. In 2023, SI narrowed its focus to AI governance, and since then has reported conducting dozens of AI governance briefings for diplomats and advising large numbers of diplomats during negotiations of major multilateral AI-related processes.
Strategically, SI positions itself as an institutional bridge: it aims to connect frontier-technology understandings (including risks and governance solutions) to the needs of multilateral deliberation, and it highlights the practical challenge that policy ecosystems must reason under uncertainty and across long time horizons. SI also emphasizes behind-closed-doors engagement with decision-makers as a significant share of its impact.