Pause House is a residential community in Blackpool, UK, that provides free housing and stipends to activists working toward a global pause on AGI development.
Pause House is a residential community in Blackpool, UK, that provides free housing and stipends to activists working toward a global pause on AGI development.
People– no linked people
Updated 04/02/26Funding Details
Updated 04/02/26- Annual Budget
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Org Details
Updated 04/02/26Pause House is a residential advocacy initiative founded by Greg Colbourn and launched in October 2025 in Blackpool, UK. It is situated next door to CEEALAR (Centre for Enabling EA Learning and Research), which Colbourn founded in 2018 as an EA community hub. The premise of Pause House is to remove financial and logistical barriers for individuals who want to dedicate significant time to pushing for a global halt to the development of increasingly powerful AI systems. Residents at Pause House receive free accommodation, (vegan) food, and a £50 per week stipend if they are unable to support themselves financially. Those with income are asked to pay approximately cost price (around £20 per day). In return, all residents commit to spending at least 20 hours per week on work related to the AI pause cause, which may include campaigning, advocacy, or raising public awareness. The facility houses up to 12 residents across its bedrooms, including 4 en-suite rooms and 8 rooms with shared bathroom facilities. It also features a large communal work and social space, a dining room, a meeting room, a fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, and a small courtyard. Activities associated with Pause House include volunteering with and participating in campaigns from PauseAI, ControlAI, the Future of Life Institute (FLI), MIRI, and similar organizations; talking to members of the public about AI risk; organizing local meetings focused on political action; meeting with politicians; and hosting in-person strategy and coordination events. Colbourn himself is a donor to and advocate for the AI pause cause, and stepped down as Executive Director of CEEALAR around this time to focus more directly on moratorium advocacy.
Theory of Change
Updated 04/02/26Pause House operates on the theory that one of the key bottlenecks to effective AI pause advocacy is that passionate individuals lack the financial means to dedicate full time to the cause. By providing free or subsidized housing and a living stipend, Pause House converts part-time supporters into full-time activists. These activists then engage in public outreach, political lobbying, and coordination with organizations pushing for a binding international treaty or moratorium on frontier AI development. The cumulative effect of more dedicated advocates is expected to shift public discourse, build political pressure, and ultimately contribute to an international agreement halting the development of superintelligent AI before it poses an extinction-level risk.
Grants Received– no grants recorded
Updated 04/02/26Projects– no linked projects
Updated 04/02/26Discussion
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