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The central hub for all of the content we have produced. Here you can browse many of our most popular content, as well as find our most recent publications.
Essentials
Essential reading
We have written a few articles that we believe all people interested in our cause areas should read. They provide a more thorough exploration than you will find on our cause area pages.
Benefits & Risks of Biotechnology
Over the past decade, progress in biotechnology has accelerated rapidly. We are poised to enter a period of dramatic change, in which the genetic modification of existing organisms -- or the creation of new ones -- will become effective, inexpensive, and pervasive.
November 14, 2018
The Risk of Nuclear Weapons
Despite the end of the Cold War over two decades ago, humanity still has ~13,000 nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert. If detonated, they may cause a decades-long nuclear winter that could kill most people on Earth. Yet the superpowers plan to invest trillions upgrading their nuclear arsenals.
November 16, 2015
Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence
From SIRI to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) is progressing rapidly. While science fiction often portrays AI as robots with human-like characteristics, AI can encompass anything from Google's search algorithms to IBM's Watson to autonomous weapons.
November 14, 2015
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Posts
Here are some of the most popular posts we have written:
Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence
From SIRI to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) is progressing rapidly. While science fiction often portrays AI as robots with human-like characteristics, AI can encompass anything from Google's search algorithms to IBM's Watson to autonomous weapons.
November 14, 2015
Benefits & Risks of Biotechnology
Over the past decade, progress in biotechnology has accelerated rapidly. We are poised to enter a period of dramatic change, in which the genetic modification of existing organisms -- or the creation of new ones -- will become effective, inexpensive, and pervasive.
November 14, 2018
As Six-Month Pause Letter Expires, Experts Call for Regulation on Advanced AI Development
This week will mark six months since the open letter calling for a six month pause on giant AI experiments. Since then, a lot has happened. Our signatories reflect on what needs to happen next.
September 21, 2023
90% of All the Scientists That Ever Lived Are Alive Today
Click here to see this page in other languages: German The following paper was written and submitted by Eric Gastfriend. […]
November 5, 2015
Existential Risk
Click here to see this page in other languages: Chinese French German Russian An existential risk is any risk that […]
November 16, 2015
The Risk of Nuclear Weapons
Despite the end of the Cold War over two decades ago, humanity still has ~13,000 nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert. If detonated, they may cause a decades-long nuclear winter that could kill most people on Earth. Yet the superpowers plan to invest trillions upgrading their nuclear arsenals.
November 16, 2015
Artificial Photosynthesis: Can We Harness the Energy of the Sun as Well as Plants?
Click here to see this page in other languages : Russian In the early 1900s, the Italian chemist Giacomo Ciamician recognized that […]
September 30, 2016
How Do We Align Artificial Intelligence with Human Values?
Click here to see this page in other languages: Chinese German Japanese Russian A major change is coming, over unknown timescales […]
February 3, 2017
Resources
Here are some of the most popular resources we have produced:
1100 Declassified U.S. Nuclear Targets
The National Security Archives recently published a declassified list of U.S. nuclear targets from 1956, which spanned 1,100 locations across Eastern Europe, Russia, China, and North Korea. The map below shows all 1,100 nuclear targets from that list, and we’ve partnered with NukeMap to demonstrate how catastrophic a nuclear exchange between the United States and Russia could be.
May 12, 2016
Accidental Nuclear War: a Timeline of Close Calls
The most devastating military threat arguably comes from a nuclear war started not intentionally but by accident or miscalculation. Accidental […]
February 23, 2016
Global AI Policy
How countries and organizations around the world are approaching the benefits and risks of AI Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great […]
December 16, 2022
Responsible Nuclear Divestment
Only 30 companies worldwide are involved in the creation of nuclear weapons, cluster munitions and/or landmines. Yet a significant number […]
June 21, 2017
Trillion Dollar Nukes
Would you spend $1.2 trillion tax dollars on nuclear weapons? How much are nuclear weapons really worth? Is upgrading the […]
October 24, 2016
The Top Myths About Advanced AI
Common myths about advanced AI distract from fascinating true controversies where even the experts disagree.
August 7, 2016
AI Policy Challenges
This page is intended as an introduction to the major challenges that society faces when attempting to govern Artificial Intelligence […]
July 17, 2018
Life 3.0
This New York Times bestseller tackles some of the biggest questions raised by the advent of artificial intelligence. Tegmark posits a future in which artificial intelligence has surpassed our own — an era he terms “life 3.0” — and explores what this might mean for humankind.
November 22, 2021
Recently added
Our most recent content
Here are the most recent items of content that we have published:
November 30, 2023
Exploration of secure hardware solutions for safe AI deployment
post
November 30, 2023
post
November 1, 2023
Future of Life Institute Newsletter: Everyone's (Finally) Talking About AI Safety
newsletter
November 1, 2023
newsletter
October 25, 2023
AI Licensing for a Better Future: On Addressing Both Present Harms and Emerging Threats
open-letter
October 25, 2023
open-letter
October 24, 2023
Written Statement of Dr. Max Tegmark to the AI Insight Forum
post
October 24, 2023
post
View all latest content
Latest documents
Here are our most recent policy papers:
FLI AI Liability Directive: Executive Summary
November 2023
FLI AI Liability Directive: Full Version
November 2023
Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons: Problem Analysis and US Policy Recommendations
November 2023
FLI Governance Scorecard and Safety Standards Policy (SSP)
October 2023
View all policy papers
Videos
Latest videos
Here are some of our recent videos:
Regulate AI Now
September 28, 2023
The AI Pause. What's Next?
September 22, 2023
Artificial Escalation
July 17, 2023
The Story of Nuclear Winter
August 6, 2022
These 8 People May Have Saved Your Life
July 25, 2022
View all videos on our YouTube channel
Future of Life Institute Podcast
Conversations with far-sighted thinkers.
Our namesake podcast series features the FLI team in conversation with prominent researchers, policy experts, philosophers, and a range of other influential thinkers.
October 6, 2023
Steve Omohundro on Provably Safe AGI
Play
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newsletter
Regular updates about the technologies shaping our world
Every month, we bring 41,000+ subscribers the latest news on how emerging technologies are transforming our world. It includes a summary of major developments in our cause areas, and key updates on the work we do. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive these highlights at the end of each month.
Future of Life Institute Newsletter: Everyone's (Finally) Talking About AI Safety
Updates on AI regulation, a historic UN resolution, our new open letter on AI licensing, examining the Terms of Use of leading AI labs, and more. Also, just two weeks left to apply for FLI PhD fellowships!
Maggie Munro
November 1, 2023
Future of Life Institute Newsletter: Our Pause Letter, Six Months Later
Reflections on the six-month anniversary of our open letter, our UK AI Safety Summit recommendations, and more.
Maggie Munro
October 1, 2023
Future of Life Institute Newsletter: 'Imagine A World' is out today!
Envisioning positive futures with AI, and urgent calls for AI regulation continue.
Maggie Munro
September 5, 2023
Read previous editions
Open letters
Add your name to the list of concerned citizens
We have written a number of open letters calling for action to be taken on our cause areas, some of which have gathered hundreds of prominent signatures. Most of these letters are still open today. Add your signature to include your name on the list of concerned citizens.
Closed
AI Licensing for a Better Future: On Addressing Both Present Harms and Emerging Threats
This joint open letter by Encode Justice and the Future of Life Institute calls for the implementation of three concrete US policies in order to address current and future harms of AI.
October 25, 2023
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Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter
We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.
March 22, 2023
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Open Letter Against Reckless Nuclear Escalation and Use
The abhorrent Ukraine war has the potential to escalate into an all-out NATO-Russia nuclear conflict that would be the greatest catastrophe in human history. More must be done to prevent such escalation.
October 18, 2022
Closed
Foresight in AI Regulation Open Letter
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) promises dramatic changes in our economic and social structures as well as everyday life […]
June 14, 2020
All open letters