Machine Intelligence Research Institute

The Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI)

• [IMAGE 1: Machine Intelligence Research Institute logo or homepage hero image]
• MIRI is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on preventing catastrophic outcomes from advanced artificial intelligence.
• MIRI is a nonprofit focused on the existential risk posed by superintelligent AI, combining technical-governance research, public communication, and policy advocacy.[1][7] Search results available here do not reliably establish its founding date, headquarters, or current geographic footprint; consultants track it because it is an unusually prominent voice advocating restrictions on advanced AI development.[1][7]

Identity and Form

• Type: This organization is a nonprofit research institute.
• Legal form and jurisdiction: No reliable source in the available results establishes MIRI’s legal registration, jurisdiction, or parent organization.
• Headquarters and presence: No reliable source found for a current headquarters; its work appears internationally oriented, including engagement with U.S. policymakers and global AI-governance discussions.[1][6]
• Size: No reliable source found for current headcount or beneficiary count.
• Where it lives online: Homepage ; MIRI newsletter ; position on the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act

Mission and Identity

• Stated operating principle: MIRI’s recent policy position identifies banning the development of superintelligence as its primary policy goal.[7]

What They Do

• Technical-governance research and policy advising.[1]
• Briefings for members of Congress.[1]
• Research fellowship programming.[1]
• Public communication about advanced-AI risks.[1]
• AI StopWatch, a digest and commentary project covering AI developments.[1]
• Advocacy for a pause or ban on superintelligence development.[7]

Leadership and People

• Nate Soares — president; described in available results as a prominent advocate on advanced-AI existential risk and co-author of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies .[8]
• Malo Bourgon — identified in one media result as MIRI’s CEO.[6]
• No reliable source found in the available results for additional current board members or program leaders.

History and Origin Story

• 2024 — MIRI reportedly described public communication and policy change as an increased priority alongside technical research.[10]
• 2025 — Fundraising materials reportedly emphasized expanding public efforts concerning the dangers of superintelligence.[10]
• 2026 — MIRI’s Technical Governance Team briefed Congress, advised on legislation, and operated a research fellowship.[1]
• 2026 — MIRI endorsed the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, supporting a policy to prohibit superintelligence development.[7]

Financials and Funding

Milestones and Signature Output

• Technical Governance Team — 2026 — conducts congressional briefings, legislative consultation, and fellowship programming.[1]
• AI StopWatch — 2026 — provides a daily digest and commentary on major AI developments and incidents.[1]
• Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act position — 2026 — formally endorsed legislation that would prohibit the development of superintelligence.[7]
• If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies — 2025–2026 — a book associated with MIRI’s public communication campaign about catastrophic AI risk; MIRI marked its first anniversary in September 2026.[1][2]

Ecosystem and Relationships

• MIRI is connected to the broader AI-safety and AI-governance ecosystem through technical-governance research and policy engagement.[1][7]
• It engages with members of the U.S. Congress on AI legislation.[1]
• Its public policy work intersects with international AI-governance discussions and United Nations–related meetings.[6]
• No reliable source found in the available results for a parent organization, subsidiary, joint venture, or formal institutional partner.

Recent Developments

• September 30, 2026 — MIRI reported that its Technical Governance Team had been briefing Congress, consulting on legislation, recruiting policy advisors, and operating a research fellowship.[1]
• September 23, 2026 — MIRI endorsed the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act of 2026 and called for a ban on superintelligence development.[7]
• September 16, 2026 — MIRI promoted 1,000 free e-books of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies as part of a public-awareness campaign.[2]
• September 2026 — MIRI’s public communications highlighted rogue-AI incidents, frontier-model developments, and international AI-policy debates.[1]

Impact

• Impact on society
  • MIRI has contributed to public and policy debate by framing advanced AI as a potential extinction threat and advocating direct government intervention.[6][7]
  • Its congressional briefings and policy work have brought technical-governance arguments into legislative discussions.[1]
• Impact on innovation
  • MIRI helped institutionalize technical research and governance work centered on controlling smarter-than-human AI, rather than treating AI safety solely as an engineering reliability problem.[1][7]
• Impact on its industry or domain
  • MIRI has advanced one of the field’s strongest policy positions: stopping or banning the development of superintelligence rather than relying only on safety measures after development begins.[7]
• Historical significance
  • MIRI is part of the early institutional history of organized concern about existential risks from artificial superintelligence, having warned about the issue for more than two decades.[7]
• Criticisms and controversies
  • No reliable, substantive outside critique is documented in the available search results; the available commentary is largely focused on MIRI’s alarmist framing and policy proposals rather than an established legal or regulatory finding.[7][10]

Adjacent Entries

• AI Safety
• AI Alignment
• Technical Governance
• AI existential risks
• Artificial Superintelligence
• AI Policy

Sources