Humans in Control

Humans in Control is a nonpartisan grassroots movement focused on AI safety advocacy and policy, founded and led by Vael Gates. Gates brings an extensive background in the AI safety field: they completed a PhD in Computational Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley and Princeton, conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University as a fellow with the Human-Centered AI Institute (HAI) and the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), interviewing AI researchers on their perspectives on risks from advanced systems. Gates previously founded Arkose, an AI safety field-building nonprofit that supported machine learning researchers and engineers interested in contributing to AI safety, which was funded by the Survival and Flourishing Fund and closed in June 2025. Gates was also Head of Content at FAR.AI. Humans in Control was launched in late 2025 and is based in Berkeley, California. The organization positions itself as a movement for the broader public rather than just the AI safety research community, seeking to build a cross-partisan political constituency around AI safety concerns. Its stated goals include ensuring transparency and accountability from AI developers, creating real safeguards for the public, and keeping humanity in control of AI's future. The organization focuses on state legislative campaigns as a key avenue for near-term impact. As of early 2026, the organization was actively hiring for four founding leadership positions: Grassroots Engagement Director, Communications Director, Operations Director, and Policy Director. It is an early-stage organization with minimal public web presence and no publicly disclosed financial information.