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Turns a body of AI-risk arguments into sustained campaigning
The Machine Intelligence Research Institute is the research and advocacy nonprofit co-founded by Eliezer Yudkowsky, historically called the Singularity Institute. After years centered on technical AI-safety research, it has explicitly shifted resources toward communications and governance, including the case for an international agreement restricting advanced AI.
Eliezer Yudkowsky: How a Warning Acquires Power →
MIRI is an enduring institution in the intellectual history of AI risk. Yudkowsky remains in its leadership and on its board; Malo Bourgon is CEO and Nate Soares is president. The organization gives their work staff, fundraising capacity and a continuing public presence. That is consequential when a technical argument becomes a sustained effort to influence how governments respond.
Its own publications describe a change in emphasis. The December 2025 fundraiser announced a transition from predominantly technical research toward communications and governance. Its March 2026 newsletter reported growth in the communications team from five people to thirteen, along with plans to experiment with content. The same newsletter described Yudkowsky and Soares joining a briefing for Bernie Sanders.
The financial record explains some of that capacity. MIRI’s contributor list credits historical support from Open Philanthropy, Vitalik Buterin, SFF, Tallinn, the Thiel Foundation and FLI. Its list uses cumulative support credits, including matching. A separately disclosed anonymous gift of 3,001 MKR was sold for about $15.59 million in 2021, with annual spending limits through 2024 and the remainder available in 2025.
MIRI also participates in developing international-agreement proposals and recommends material that can carry its concerns to broader audiences, including Rational Animations. Its published communication guidance advocates honesty and warns against manipulation. For readers of this network, the significant development is visible in its allocation of people and effort: the institution increasingly seeks political and public change as part of its answer to AI risk.
Assessment updated 2026-09-12
Survival and Flourishing Fund → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Survival and Flourishing Fund → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $3,372,000; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology.
Future of Life Institute → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Future of Life Institute → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $412,252; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology.
Coefficient Giving → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Coefficient Giving → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $15,925,143; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology.
Vitalik Buterin → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Vitalik Buterin → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $5,411,216; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology.
Jaan Tallinn → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Jaan Tallinn → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $1,631,447; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology.
Thiel Foundation → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Thiel Foundation → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged past support. MIRI reports $1,627,000; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology.
Anonymous 2021 MIRI cryptocurrency donor → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Anonymous 2021 MIRI cryptocurrency donor → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: reported 2021 mkr gift. MIRI reports $15,592,829; sale proceeds from the 2021 gift.
Eliezer Yudkowsky → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Eliezer Yudkowsky → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: co-founder, leadership and board.
MIRI, the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, dates its founding to 2000; it operated as the Singularity Institute until 2013. Its current roster places Yudkowsky under both Leadership and Board as co-founder. Malo Bourgon is CEO. Soares is president. Keeping those roles straight matters: intellectual prominence, board authority and daily executive responsibility are different kinds of power. MIRI history · Current team
Read the research & sources ↗MIRI current roles: https://intelligence.org/team/ . Yudkowsky is listed under Leadership and Board. Malo Bourgon is CEO; Nate Soares is President. Earlier Singularity Institute name: https://intelligence.org/transparency/ . These are institutional roles, not proof of personal control over all linked organizations.
Read the research & sources ↗Follow historical donor support into the institution, then distinguish its leadership roles.
Open diagram →Compare a documented route into government guidance with PauseAI’s declared division of labor.
Open diagram →Eliezer Yudkowsky → Co-founder, leadership and board → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Eliezer Yudkowsky → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: co-founder, leadership and board. Not current CEO; operational roles separately recorded.
Malo Bourgon → Chief executive officer → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Malo Bourgon → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: chief executive officer. Current website listing.
Nate Soares → President → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Nate Soares → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: president. Current website listing.
Machine Intelligence Research Institute → Historical ownership at founding → LessWrong
Checked 12 September 2026
Machine Intelligence Research Institute → LessWrong: historical ownership at founding. Historical FAQ account; no present legal-title conclusion.
Coefficient Giving → Acknowledged historical support → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Coefficient Giving → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $15,925,143; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology. Total institutional support credits including leveraged matching. Not annual spending,personal payment,current campaign allocation or donor control. Thiel listed among past contributors.
Vitalik Buterin → Acknowledged historical support → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Vitalik Buterin → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $5,411,216; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology. Total institutional support credits including leveraged matching. Not annual spending,personal payment,current campaign allocation or donor control. Thiel listed among past contributors.
Survival and Flourishing Fund → Acknowledged historical support → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Survival and Flourishing Fund → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $3,372,000; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology. Total institutional support credits including leveraged matching. Not annual spending,personal payment,current campaign allocation or donor control. Thiel listed among past contributors.
Jaan Tallinn → Acknowledged historical support → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Jaan Tallinn → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $1,631,447; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology. Total institutional support credits including leveraged matching. Not annual spending,personal payment,current campaign allocation or donor control. Thiel listed among past contributors.
Thiel Foundation → Acknowledged past support → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Thiel Foundation → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged past support. MIRI reports $1,627,000; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology. Total institutional support credits including leveraged matching. Not annual spending,personal payment,current campaign allocation or donor control. Thiel listed among past contributors.
Future of Life Institute → Acknowledged historical support → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Future of Life Institute → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: acknowledged historical support. MIRI reports $412,252; cumulative support credit under its stated matching methodology. Total institutional support credits including leveraged matching. Not annual spending,personal payment,current campaign allocation or donor control. Thiel listed among past contributors.
Anonymous 2021 MIRI cryptocurrency donor → Reported 2021 MKR gift → Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Checked 12 September 2026
Anonymous 2021 MIRI cryptocurrency donor → Machine Intelligence Research Institute: reported 2021 mkr gift. MIRI reports $15,592,829; sale proceeds from the 2021 gift. Recipient-reported proceeds; $2.5 million annual spending cap in 2021–2024, remainder available in 2025. No donor identity or MakerDAO corporate-donor conclusion.
Machine Intelligence Research Institute → Recommends for work and donations → Rational Animations
Checked 12 September 2026
MIRI’s public action page recommends Rational Animations among several organizations. Recommendation is not a MIRI grant or mutual agreement on every position.