About
About the AI Constitution
Artificial intelligence is reshaping society faster than our frameworks for governance, accountability, and ethics can keep up. The AI Constitution is a collaborative, community-driven effort to close that gap — bringing together organizations, experts, and voices from across sectors and borders to shape a shared framework for the development and governance of AI.
What makes this effort different is who shapes it. It is not a document authored by one organization imposing its vision, but a living framework — open and evolving — built on the premise that getting AI governance right takes many disciplines working toward shared principles.
What is the AI Constitution?
Rather than one organization's vision, it is designed to reflect the perspectives of policymakers, technologists, researchers, legal experts, ethicists, business leaders, and civil society. The goal is a living, working document that can meaningfully inform policy and guide the responsible development of safe and beneficial AI. It is meant to be:
- Collaborative — shaped by contributions from many organizations and individuals, not authored by any single voice.
- Focused — centered on AI governance specifically.
- Diverse — inclusive of perspectives from all sectors, backgrounds, and geographies, across the world.
- Dynamic — built to persist for generations, adapting as the AI landscape changes.
This site hosts an open, community-developed draft. It reflects topics for discussion, not the official position of ASFAI.
Why is it needed?
We are at a pivotal moment. AI capabilities are advancing rapidly — and with them, the potential to transform how societies function, how decisions are made, and how power is distributed. Unlike previous transformational technologies, AI can act autonomously, making consequential decisions at a scale and speed that outpaces existing governance structures.
The challenge is not just technical — it is political, ethical, and deeply human. No single organization, government, or discipline has all the answers. Many organizations have published AI principles; this effort is different in seeking a genuinely broad set of constituencies and a living document — with real mechanisms for achieving its stated goals, and international cooperation where enforcement demands it. Not a declaration, but a foundation.
What it covers
AI Values
What ethical principles should form the basis of AI training, and how are they prioritized?
Human Rights
What rights do humans have with respect to AI systems and their operators?
AI Rights
What rights, if any, do AI systems have with respect to humans?
Limitations
What limits should never be crossed — and where is international cooperation needed to enforce them?
Read the full draft under Articles, or browse every thesis under Theses. The constitution's own structure and governing institution are taken up separately in Article I.
What is ASFAI?
The AI Constitution is hosted by the American Society for AI (ASFAI), a philanthropic organization dedicated to creating a better world with AI. ASFAI brings together leaders from across industries and disciplines — pioneers in AI, entrepreneurs, technologists, philanthropists, authors, investors, lawyers, policymakers, researchers, computer scientists, engineers, doctors, and professors — making it a natural convener for an initiative that depends on the breadth and diversity of its contributors.