The Future Society

Boston, MA, USA

established7 peopleFounded 2014

Endorsed by:

The Future Society (TFS) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that develops, advocates for, and facilitates the implementation of AI governance mechanisms. Originally incubated at Harvard Kennedy School in 2014, TFS works across three main pillars: European AI governance (including extensive work on the EU AI Act), global AI governance (through its flagship Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law), and U.S. AI governance. The organization advises governments and international bodies, conducts policy research, organizes multi-stakeholder convenings, and builds coalitions to ensure that AI development is guided by safety, fairness, accountability, and transparency principles.

Funding Details

Annual Budget: $1,927,009
Monthly Burn Rate: $160,584
Current Runway: -
Funding Goal: -
Funding Raised to Date: -
Fiscal Sponsor: -

Theory of Change

TFS believes that well-designed AI governance is fundamental for ensuring that increasingly powerful AI systems serve humanity rather than threaten it. Their theory of change operates through three pathways: (1) conducting rigorous policy research to provide evidence-based analysis of AI risks and governance options, (2) advising and advocating directly with decision-makers in governments, intergovernmental organizations, and standard-setting bodies to shape laws, regulations, and voluntary frameworks, and (3) convening multi-stakeholder dialogues that build shared understanding and consensus among policymakers, industry, civil society, and academics. By shaping the rules and norms governing AI development at the European, U.S., and global levels, TFS aims to create institutional safeguards that reduce catastrophic and existential risks from powerful AI while enabling beneficial innovation.