named programs · 1 · from sources
What they call their work
AI Safety Whistleblower Legal Defense Fund
Provides financial assistance for legal expenses and pro bono legal advice to individuals exposing dangerous, illegal, or unethical practices in AI development, with priority given to cases involving frontier AI safety and alignment.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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AI Governance and Ethical Research 1 activity
- Legal advocacy for safe science and technologyEngages in legal advocacy to ensure scientific and technological advances are safe for people and the planet, including filing amicus briefs in key cases such as defending California's AI Training Data Transparency Act (AB 2013) in the Ninth Circuit.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Provision of pro bono legal advice to AI safety whistleblowersProvides pro bono legal advice to AI safety whistleblowers on whistleblowing procedures and impact litigation, and assists clients in securing legal representation and support services. Also extends attorney-client privilege to initial outreach communications with potential whistleblowers, even before formal retention.
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Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Public dissemination of legal information on science and technology safetyProvides legal information to the public through its website, supporting awareness and understanding of legal issues related to safe science and technology development.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Financial support for AI safety whistleblower legal expensesFunds legal expenses for AI safety whistleblowers, including attorney fees, court costs, discovery expenses, and technical consultant fees related to disclosure, litigation, and retaliation defense. Also provides limited financial assistance to supporters such as family members, colleagues, journalists, and attorneys involved in these cases.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$756K
Contributions & grants$744K98%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$12K2%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$92K
Program expenses50%
Admin / overhead45%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$35K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$668K
Cash$263K
Investments$405K
Liabilities$5K
Net assets$662K
Liquid reserves86.7 mo
1 years on record · 2024–2024
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TYLER WHITMER | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $30K |
board members · 2
- LAURENS PRINS — SECRETARY
- LI WEI VIVIAN DONG — TREASURER
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- Alliance for Secure AI Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED) Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Center for Humane Technology Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Centre for Effective Altruism Partner — Amy Labenz serves as Director at both LASST and the Centre for Effective Altruism, indicating organizational alignment.
- Cybersafety Research Center Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Digital Childhood Institute Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Encode AI Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Fairplay Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Heat Initiative Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- IRS Government — Registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
- Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology Network — The AI Safety Whistleblower Legal Defense Fund is a program of Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology, operating under its mission to use legal advocacy to make science and technology safer.
- NAVA Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Secure AI Project Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Tech Equity Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Tech Justice Law (TJL) Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Tech Oversight Project Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
- Transparency Coalition Partner — Coalition member in filing an amicus brief to defend California's AI Training Data Transparency Act.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Coordinated Legal Access Network 28 orgsmethodology: coordinated_legal_accessBy coordinating with external legal organizations, we expand access to legal representation for whistleblowers, because pooling pro bono and reduced-fee resources increases systemic capacity to support high-impact cases.shared approach: Pro Bono Ecosystem Building →
- Transparency Advocacy via Consumer Protection Frameworks 6 orgsmethodology: ingredient-label-for-aiBy framing AI transparency through the "ingredient label for AI" model, we advance disclosure laws that align with established consumer protection norms, because familiar regulatory analogies increase policy adoption and public understanding.shared approach: Transparency Through Empowerment →
- Barrier Reduction for Whistleblower Empowermentmethodology: barrier-reduction_for_whistleblowingBy reducing legal and financial barriers for AI safety whistleblowers, we increase the likelihood of early detection and disclosure of harmful practices, because individuals are more likely to come forward when protected from personal risk.
- Legal Advocacy for Safe Innovationmethodology: legal advocacyBy using legal advocacy, we influence the ethical development and deployment of science and technology to ensure societal and environmental benefit, because legal mechanisms can enforce accountability and shape responsible innovation.