Existential Risk Laboratory

The Existential Risk Laboratory (XLab) was founded in 2022 at the University of Chicago as an interdisciplinary research organization dedicated to the analysis and mitigation of risks that threaten human civilization's long-term survival. Originally established as the Chicago School of Existential Risk (CSXR), the lab draws on UChicago's historic legacy in existential risk work, tracing back to Enrico Fermi and the world's first nuclear chain reaction under Stagg Field, as well as the founding of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Manhattan Project scientists in 1945. XLab is directed by Daniel Holz, a professor in the Departments of Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. Holz also serves as Chair of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, where he helps set the time of the Doomsday Clock. He is an NSF CAREER Award recipient and APS Fellow, known for his contributions to the LIGO gravitational wave detection collaboration. Deputy Director Zachary Rudolph holds a Master of Public Policy from UChicago's Harris School, specializing in AI governance and security studies. The lab's research spans four primary risk domains: artificial intelligence (misuse and misalignment risks, AI governance), biosecurity (pandemic threats, pathogen engineering, laboratory safety), nuclear weapons (weapons on high-alert status, accidental launch risks, policy gaps), and climate change (tipping points, cascading environmental failures). XLab addresses both the individual risks and their intersections, particularly the convergence of AI and nuclear security. Key programs include the Summer Research Fellowship, a 10-week in-person program providing 15-20 fellows with stipends, housing, mentorship, and compute credits to pursue independent research; the Nuclear Risk Working Group, selecting 6-10 students per quarter for original research with real-world policy applications; AI Safety Fundamentals, a seven-week reading group on technical safety and governance; the Chicago Symposium on Transformative AI, bringing together 30-40 undergraduates with leading researchers; and Second Look Research, producing open-source replications of empirical AI safety papers. XLab also offers the undergraduate course 'Are We Doomed?', a survey of existential and global catastrophic risks. The lab is supported by a 19-member Faculty Advisory Committee drawn from departments across UChicago, and prioritizes making its courses, research, and resources publicly available. The lab has received funding from Open Philanthropy and the Future of Life Institute to support its fellowship programs and operations.

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$1,173,800