Palisade Research

Berkeley, CA

Actively Fundraisingearly15 peopleFounded 2023

Endorsed by:

Donate:Every.org·Direct

Palisade Research is a nonprofit that studies the capabilities and motivations of AI agents to better understand the risk of losing control to AI systems. Founded in 2023, the organization conducts empirical research on frontier AI models, focusing on areas including autonomous hacking, shutdown resistance, spear phishing and deception, and scalable disinformation. Palisade creates concrete demonstrations of dangerous capabilities to advise policymakers, the public, and AI developers on the risks posed by agentic AI systems. Their work spans technical research, policy engagement in Washington DC, and a growing science communication program.

Funding Details

Annual Budget: $3,232,257
Monthly Burn Rate: -
Current Runway: 7 months
Funding Goal: $1,133,000
Funding Raised to Date: $4,500,000
Fiscal Sponsor: -

Theory of Change

Palisade Research believes that demonstrating concrete, empirically verified examples of dangerous AI capabilities is essential for motivating appropriate policy responses and technical safety measures. By researching and publicly demonstrating risks such as autonomous hacking, shutdown resistance, and deception capabilities in frontier AI models, they aim to create a shared understanding among policymakers, the public, and AI developers of the threats posed by agentic AI systems. Their theory of change operates through three channels: technical research that produces rigorous evidence of AI risks, policy engagement that translates research findings into actionable governance recommendations, and science communication that builds broad public understanding. The ultimate goal is to help humanity maintain control over increasingly capable AI systems and avoid scenarios where AI agents could permanently disempower human decision-making.