AI Now Institute

The AI Now Institute was founded on November 15, 2017, at New York University by researchers Kate Crawford and Meredith Whittaker. It was the first AI research institute founded and led by women, and was notable for spanning six NYU schools including Tandon School of Engineering, Stern School of Business, the School of Law, the Center for Data Science, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. The institute also partnered with civil society organizations including the ACLU from its earliest days.

In mid-2022, AI Now became a fully independent nonprofit organization and formalized a strict no-corporate-funding policy, declining support from the tech companies whose practices it studies. As an independent 501(c)(3), its funding comes entirely from philanthropic foundations including the Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Omidyar Network, Luminate, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Fast Forward Tech Foundation, and the Global Fund for New Economy. In February 2026, the MacArthur Foundation announced a $2 million grant to help scale the institute's work on national security and AI.

The institute is currently led by Co-Executive Directors Amba Kak and Sarah Myers West. Other senior staff include Chief AI Scientist Heidy Khlaaf, Chief Advisor Meredith Whittaker, Senior Director Kate Brennan, and Operations Director Ellen Schwartz. The institute employs a range of fellows, scientists, and advisors spanning policy, healthcare, economics, national security, and international governance.

AI Now is best known for its annual AI Landscape Reports, which have been published since 2017. The 2025 report, titled "Artificial Power," maps the current state of the AI market, identifies sources of corporate and political power within the industry, and offers strategies for communities, policymakers, and the public to reclaim agency over AI's trajectory. The institute's work has included testimony before the US Federal Trade Commission, submissions to the Office of Management and Budget, and contributions to UN discussions on AI governance.