Center for AI Policy
Center for AI Policy
The Center for AI Policy (CAIP) was a non-partisan nonprofit founded in 2023 that worked with Congress to promote commonsense legislative solutions to catastrophic risks from advanced AI. CAIP focused on bipartisan Congressional engagement from June 2023 through May 2025 before ceasing most active operations due to funding constraints.
Quick Assessment
| Dimension | Assessment | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Largely Inactive | Ceased most active operations in 2025 due to funding constraints |
| Congressional Engagement | Was High | Active bipartisan engagement with Congressional offices 2023-2025 |
| Policy Focus | Concentrated | Specifically targeted catastrophic AI risk legislation |
| Independence | High | Non-partisan framing, engaged both parties |
| Lifespan | Short | ≈2 years of active operation (2023-2025) |
Organization Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2023 |
| Status | Largely inactive (as of mid-2025) |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Structure | 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy |
| Executive Director | Tristan Williams |
| Website | centeraipolicy.org |
| Focus Areas | Catastrophic AI risk legislation, biosecurity risks from AI, Congressional engagement |
Overview
The Center for AI Policy (CAIP) was founded in June 2023 as a non-partisan, nonprofit advocacy organization focused on promoting legislative solutions to the catastrophic risks posed by advanced AI systems. CAIP worked directly with Congressional offices to build bipartisan support for AI safety legislation, providing technical briefings and policy recommendations to legislators and their staff.
CAIP's approach was distinguished by its specific focus on catastrophic risk — as opposed to broader AI governance issues like bias, privacy, or workforce impacts — and its emphasis on practical legislative language rather than broad principles. The organization aimed to translate technical AI safety concerns into concrete bills that could gain bipartisan support in a polarized Congress.
Key Activities (2023-2025)
Congressional Briefings: CAIP conducted regular briefings for Congressional offices on AI capabilities, risks, and governance options, helping to build technical understanding among legislators and staff.
Legislative Proposals: CAIP developed and promoted specific legislative proposals addressing catastrophic AI risks, including frameworks for pre-deployment safety evaluations and reporting requirements for dangerous capabilities.
Bipartisan Engagement: CAIP engaged with offices from both parties, framing AI safety as a national security priority to attract Republican interest and as a consumer protection issue to attract Democratic support.
Closure
CAIP ceased most active operations in approximately May 2025, citing funding constraints. The organization's closure illustrates the fragility of the AI policy advocacy landscape, where many organizations launched rapidly in 2023 but struggled to sustain operations as donor interest shifted or funding dried up.
Key Dynamics
Short-lived but representative: CAIP's trajectory — rapid founding, active engagement, and closure within two years — exemplifies the boom-and-bust dynamics of the post-ChatGPT AI policy advocacy space. Several organizations founded in 2023 faced similar sustainability challenges.
Complementary to survivors: The policy space that CAIP occupied is now served by surviving organizations including Americans for Responsible Innovation, the AI Policy Institute, and IAPS.
Funding dependency: CAIP's closure highlights the challenge of sustaining AI policy advocacy organizations that depend on philanthropic funding in a competitive fundraising environment where donors may shift priorities rapidly.