AI Watch: Global AI Safety and Governance Organizations

This is a curated list rather than a formal ranking. It includes nonprofit organizations, independent public-interest institutes, university research centers, and regional community networks.

North America

Center for AI Safety
The Center for AI Safety is a nonprofit research and field-building organization focused on reducing societal-scale risks from artificial intelligence. Its work includes technical safety research, safety benchmarks, researcher development, and the promotion of stronger AI safety standards.

Website: https://safe.ai/

Machine Intelligence Research Institute
The Machine Intelligence Research Institute is a nonprofit organization that helped establish AI alignment as a technical research field. Its current work focuses on the risks posed by artificial superintelligence, technical governance, and preventing the uncontrolled development of systems more capable than humans.

Website: https://intelligence.org/

Future of Life Institute
The Future of Life Institute works to steer powerful technologies away from catastrophic and large-scale risks. Its AI programs include international governance proposals, policy advocacy, research funding, public education, and initiatives promoting the safe development of advanced AI.

Website: https://futureoflife.org/

AI Now Institute
The AI Now Institute is an independent nonprofit research institute examining the social, political, and economic consequences of artificial intelligence. Its work focuses on public accountability, corporate power, surveillance, labor, regulation, and the effects of AI systems on communities and institutions.

Website: https://ainowinstitute.org/

Partnership on AI
Partnership on AI is an independent nonprofit community that brings together organizations from civil society, academia, industry, media, and philanthropy. It develops research, guidance, and collaborative initiatives intended to ensure that AI produces positive outcomes for people and society.

Website: https://partnershiponai.org/

Responsible AI Institute
The Responsible AI Institute is an independent nonprofit focused on practical AI governance and assurance. It develops certification programs, governance resources, working groups, and standards-aligned approaches for organizations deploying AI responsibly.

Website: https://www.responsible.ai/

Institute for AI Governance and Ethics
IAGE is an independent, interdisciplinary institute advancing responsible AI governance, ethical oversight, and practical compliance across sectors. We convene leaders in healthcare, policy, law, technology, academia, industry, and civil society to translate AI ethics into action.

Webpage: https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-ai-governance-and-ethics/posts/

Europe

Ada Lovelace Institute
The Ada Lovelace Institute is an independent research institute working to ensure that data and AI serve people and society. It conducts research and policy work on AI regulation, public participation, accountability, social impacts, and the responsible use of technology in public services.

Website: https://www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/

AlgorithmWatch
AlgorithmWatch is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization based in Berlin and Zurich. It investigates algorithmic decision-making systems and advocates for transparency, accountability, human rights, democracy, justice, and effective public oversight.

Website: https://algorithmwatch.org/

Centre for the Governance of AI
The Centre for the Governance of AI, commonly known as GovAI, is a nonprofit research organization focused on the governance challenges created by advanced and general-purpose AI. It produces policy research and develops specialists working across AI regulation, security, risk analysis, and responsible development practices.

Website: https://www.governance.ai/

SaferAI
SaferAI is a France-based nonprofit developing tools and methods for measuring and managing risks from advanced AI systems. Its work includes company risk assessments, governance research, safety standards, quantitative risk modeling, and guidance for governments and industry.

Website: https://www.safer-ai.org/

Asia

AI Safety Asia
AI Safety Asia is a regional nonprofit connecting policymakers, researchers, civil society, and other stakeholders around safe and responsible AI. Its programs focus on governance research, policy engagement, regional collaboration, training, and institutional capacity-building across Asia.

Website: https://www.aisafety.asia/

AI Asia Pacific Institute
The AI Asia Pacific Institute is an independent, not-for-profit organization promoting the responsible development and adoption of AI across Asia-Pacific economies. It conducts regional research, policy advisory work, international collaboration, and capacity-building programs.

Website: https://aiasiapacific.org/

IT for Change
IT for Change is an Indian NGO working at the intersection of digital technology, human rights, social justice, gender, data governance, and public policy. Its AI work examines how governance frameworks can protect rights and address inequality, corporate power, and the concerns of the Global South.

Website: https://itforchange.net/

Digital Asia Hub
Digital Asia Hub is an independent nonprofit research think tank based in Hong Kong. It provides a collaborative platform for research, knowledge-sharing, and capacity-building around AI, digital rights, internet governance, and technology’s effects on Asian societies.

Website: https://www.digitalasiahub.org/

Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence
The Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence is a nonprofit research and development institution in China. Although its mission extends beyond governance, it has played an important role in AI safety research, responsible development principles, open research, and discussions about the governance of advanced AI.

Website: https://www.baai.ac.cn/en/

Africa

Africa Strategic Policy and AI Resource Centre
The Africa Strategic Policy and AI Resource Centre, known as AFRI-SPARC, is an independent organization working on AI governance, policy development, system evaluation, legal analysis, impact assessment, and capacity-building. Its work emphasizes African digital sovereignty and governance frameworks grounded in local realities.

Website: https://www.afrisparc.org/

Research ICT Africa
Research ICT Africa conducts multidisciplinary research on digital governance, data justice, AI policy, and technology regulation across the continent. Its Africa Just AI work promotes governance grounded in human rights, inclusion, accountability, economic justice, and African agency.

Website: https://researchictafrica.net/

Pollicy
Pollicy is a Ugandan civic-technology and feminist data organization working across Africa. It promotes responsible data use, digital rights, data justice, public accountability, and governance approaches that include women and communities historically excluded from technology policy.

Website: https://pollicy.org/

Responsible AI Governance Initiative
The Responsible AI Governance Initiative is an independent African nonprofit focused specifically on ethical and safe AI governance. It develops policy frameworks, promotes safety standards, builds institutional capacity, conducts research, and provides public education across Africa.

Website: https://www.responsibleaigovernance.org/

Encode Sub-Saharan Africa
Encode Sub-Saharan Africa is a collective of African AI safety chapters building regional capacity through education, fellowships, advocacy, policy engagement, research, and community-building. Its goal is to expand Africa’s participation in the global AI safety ecosystem.

Website: https://encodessa.org/

South America

Derechos Digitales
Derechos Digitales is an independent nonprofit organization defending human rights in digital environments throughout Latin America. Its AI work focuses on governance, algorithmic transparency, meaningful civil-society participation, surveillance, social justice, and rights-based regulation.

Website: https://www.derechosdigitales.org/

Data Privacy Brasil
Data Privacy Brasil is a nonprofit and nonpartisan civil-society organization focused on data protection, digital rights, emerging technologies, and social justice. Its AI initiatives include policy research, public education, civic audits, regulatory participation, and documentation of harms caused by AI systems.

Website: https://dataprivacy.com.br/

Institute for Technology and Society of Rio
The Institute for Technology and Society of Rio is an independent nonprofit research organization studying technology’s effects on society. Its work includes AI regulation, digital rights, technology law, public consultation, accountability, and the development of public-interest technology policy in Brazil.

Website: https://itsrio.org/

Brazilian Institute for AI Governance
The Brazilian Institute for AI Governance is an independent nonprofit civil association dedicated specifically to responsible AI governance in Brazil and Latin America. Its work includes research, education, certification, governance assessments, regulatory analysis, and public-policy advocacy.

Website: https://ibgia.org/

Oceania

Gradient Institute
Gradient Institute is Australia’s independent nonprofit AI research organization. It conducts technical and sociotechnical research and provides evidence-based guidance to governments, businesses, civil society, and communities on the safe and responsible development and use of AI.

Website: https://www.gradientinstitute.org/

Human Technology Institute
The Human Technology Institute is a research center within the University of Technology Sydney focused on responsible technology and human-centered AI. Its work includes AI regulation, corporate governance, accountability, human rights, worker participation, and practical governance resources for organizational leaders.

Website: https://www.uts.edu.au/research/centres/human-technology-institute

AI Forum New Zealand
AI Forum New Zealand is a purpose-driven, not-for-profit organization bringing together industry, academia, government, civil society, and individual practitioners. Its AI Governance Working Group produces practical tools, frameworks, policy submissions, and guidance for responsible AI adoption in New Zealand.

Website: https://aiforum.org.nz/

AI Safety Australia and New Zealand
AI Safety Australia and New Zealand is a regional community network connecting people with AI safety research, policy, careers, conferences, and educational opportunities. It helps build relationships between local researchers and practitioners and the wider international AI safety community.

Website: https://www.aisafetyanz.com.au/

 

If you would like your organization added to our list, please contact us.