Simon Institute for Longterm Governance

Geneva, Switzerland

established9 peopleFounded 2021

Endorsed by:

The Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) is a Swiss think tank based in Geneva that works to foster international cooperation on governing transformative technologies, with a current focus on frontier AI diplomacy. SI conducts research on international AI governance, facilitates exchange between technical and policy communities, and educates diplomats and civil servants about frontier AI's opportunities, risks, and governance solutions. The organization engages directly with the United Nations system and multilateral institutions, translating technical AI developments into actionable policy advice.

Funding Details

Annual Budget: $1,456,000
Monthly Burn Rate: $121,333
Current Runway: -
Funding Goal: -
Funding Raised to Date: -
Fiscal Sponsor: -

Theory of Change

SI believes that policymaking in national governments and international organizations is the most influential form of explicit value-driven coordination for safeguarding humanity's long-term future. The organization identifies a core problem: policymaking systematically underweights the interests of future generations, and governance structures are not equipped to handle the pace and scale of transformative technology development. SI aims to improve what it calls 'long-term institutional fit' -- the capacity of policy networks to protect humanity's long-term potential -- through three dimensions: changing dominant societal narratives to incorporate future generations, reforming institutions to account for future interests, and ensuring policy agendas address tail risks. Rather than simply providing information, SI equips policy actors with tools to handle information overload and facilitate collective decision-making, building sustained communities of practice. By working at the intersection of the AI technical community and the multilateral governance system, particularly the UN, SI aims to ensure that international governance frameworks for frontier AI are well-informed, practically effective, and account for catastrophic and existential risks.