A nonpartisan think tank that produces policy research on the implications of advanced AI systems, covering frontier security, compute governance, and international AI strategy to equip policymakers for high-magnitude AI risks.
A nonpartisan think tank that produces policy research on the implications of advanced AI systems, covering frontier security, compute governance, and international AI strategy to equip policymakers for high-magnitude AI risks.
People
Updated 04/02/26Research Director, Frontier Security
Funding Details
Updated 04/02/26- Annual Budget
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Org Details
Updated 04/02/26The Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) is a nonpartisan think tank that produces policy research to address the implications of artificial intelligence, from today's most advanced models to potential AGI and superintelligence. Its work equips policymakers and industry leaders to protect innovation while navigating high-magnitude risks and opportunities at the intersection of AI, national security, and geopolitics. IAPS evolved out of Rethink Priorities' AI Governance and Strategy Team and began publishing research in September 2023. It operates as a fiscally sponsored project of Rethink Priorities, a California-based 501(c)(3), receiving fiscal and operational support while maintaining editorial independence and setting its own research agenda. The organization's research is organized into three pillars. Frontier Security addresses AI-related threats to national defense and public safety, including work on cyber autonomy, AI security assurance, and preparedness measures. Compute Governance explores novel interventions for managing access to massive AI compute resources, with a particular focus on technical mechanisms for enforcement of U.S. export controls, on-chip governance, and supply chain security. International Strategy examines global AI coordination and competition, including US-China dynamics and the emergence of AI Safety Institutes worldwide. Notable publications include Secure, Governable Chips (produced in collaboration with the Center for a New American Security), Location Verification for AI Chips, Strategic Visions in AI Governance, and research on AI agent governance frameworks. In 2025, IAPS published 8 major reports and was featured in over 40 media outlets including The Economist, New York Times, and TIME. IAPS runs a competitive AI Policy Fellowship, a fully-funded three-month program that brings together researchers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to build practical AI policy skills. The 2025 cohort selected 29 fellows from over 5,600 applicants. The organization contributed to America's AI Action Plan and supported legislative advancement of the Chip Security Act and Stop Stealing Our Chips legislation. The organization is led by Executive Director Jennifer Marron, who previously served at the White House National Security Council and the Department of State. Peter Wildeford, who co-founded both IAPS and Rethink Priorities, serves as Chief Strategy Officer and Advisor. IAPS is headquartered in Washington, DC and operates as a remote-first organization with staff across multiple countries.
Theory of Change
Updated 04/02/26IAPS believes that advanced AI systems, up to and including potential AGI and superintelligence, present high-magnitude risks to national security, public safety, and global stability. Their theory of change operates through three channels. First, by producing forward-looking policy research that is actionable today but relevant to future AI capabilities, they aim to ensure that governance frameworks are in place before dangerous capabilities emerge. Second, by cultivating a pipeline of skilled AI policy talent through their fellowship program and community building, they increase the capacity of the policy ecosystem to respond effectively to AI risks. Third, by engaging directly with policymakers in Congress, the executive branch, and internationally, they translate technical AI safety insights into concrete policy interventions, particularly around compute governance and export controls, which serve as leverage points for managing access to the resources required to build frontier AI systems.
Grants Received
Updated 04/02/26Projects
Updated 04/02/26
A fully-funded, three-month fellowship program run by the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) that trains professionals from diverse backgrounds to work on AI policy projects with the goal of securing a positive future with powerful AI.
Discussion
Key risk: Their core bet on U.S.-led export controls and on-chip governance is vulnerable to political economy pushback and international leakage, so strong research may not translate into durable, enforceable policy and could be bypassed by non-U.S. supply chains.
Case for funding: IAPS couples credible DC access and bipartisan relationships with technically detailed compute-governance proposals (e.g., secure, governable chips and location verification) and has already influenced U.S. AI strategy and chip-security legislation, positioning them to turn enforcement-ready mechanisms into high-leverage constraints on frontier AI.