Open Philanthropy has ended its university AI safety group funding program and transferred financial support for most university AI safety groups to Kairos, an AI safety field-building organization. The move reflects Open Philanthropy’s broader strategy of transitioning small grants programs to specialized organizations better positioned to provide active support and guidance.
What you should know: Open Philanthropy’s GCR Capacity Building team announced the immediate closure of their university group funding program as of the publication date.
- Kairos will now handle monetary support for most university AI safety groups, leveraging what Open Philanthropy describes as “a strong team and a substantive track record of supporting university AI safety group organizers.”
- The transition follows Open Philanthropy’s previous decision to pass EA group funding to CEA (Centre for Effective Altruism), indicating a systematic approach to program restructuring.
Why this matters: The change doesn’t signal reduced confidence in student organizers but rather aims to improve the quality of support they receive.
- Open Philanthropy believes student groups and their organizers continue doing “extremely impactful work” and that this transition will benefit organizers through more active support.
- The move positions Kairos as a key player in AI safety field-building at the university level, potentially strengthening the pipeline of future AI safety researchers and advocates.
The bigger picture: This transition reflects Open Philanthropy’s strategic focus on moving small grants programs to organizations with specialized expertise and capacity for hands-on support.
- While Open Philanthropy previously lacked clear candidates for AI safety group funding, Kairos has emerged as a well-positioned alternative with demonstrated experience in this specific area.
- The change suggests a maturation of the AI safety ecosystem, with specialized organizations taking on roles previously handled by larger philanthropic entities.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...