What We Do

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Encode is mobilizing policymakers and the public for a future where AI fulfills its transformative potential.

A selection of our work:

  • Organized a bipartisan event on Capitol Hill featuring Senators Cruz, Durbin, and Klobuchar alongside Francesca Mani — a victim of nonconsensual deepfake imagery — to advocate for legislation including the TAKE IT DOWN Act and the DEFIANCE Act.
  • Led a coalition of experts to develop and pass America’s first policy governing the use of AI in nuclear weapons systems through the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act.
  • Co-sponsored SB 1047, California’s landmark AI safety legislation, and built a broad coalition of experts, celebrities, and tech leaders to support safety requirements for advanced AI systems.
  • Advocated for U.S. AI Safety Institute authorization and championed an innovative funding mechanism to expand NIST’s AI safety research capabilities through a proposed public-private foundation model.
  • Authored a comprehensive 22-point platform for global AI action by the year 2030, securing endorsements from global leaders like former Irish President Mary Robinson, Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu, and “godfather of AI” Yoshua Bengio.
  • Contributed to major White House AI initiatives, including the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and Executive Order 14110 on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI.
  • Filed an FTC complaint against AI companion app Replika in partnership with the Young People’s Alliance and Tech Justice Law Project.
  • Filed an amicus brief challenging OpenAI’s for-profit restructuring, backed by Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton and amplified by Elon Musk, to ensure the development of artificial general intelligence is anchored in humanity’s interests rather than profits.
<b>What We Do</b> Image: From our founder Sneha’s meeting with Vice President Harris on AI.
Featured Work

Newsom vetoes landmark AI safety bill backed by Californians

November 8, 2024
The Guardian

Sunny Gandhi of Encode: “It’s a moral chasm between Silicon Valley and Main Street.”

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What we do
Featured Work

Capitol Hill Summit on Deepfake Porn

November 19, 2024
Senators Cruz, Durbin, and Klobuchar

Our 2024 Capitol Hill Summit catalyzed action against AI-enabled sexual exploitation. Working with survivor advocate Francesca Mani, we developed a model school board policy and launched the first national deepfake incident tracker. Together with Americans for Responsible Innovation, we gathered thousands of signatures on a petition and released an open letter signed by 27 organizations supporting the TAKE IT DOWN and DEFIANCE Acts. Featured on 60 Minutes, our multi-pronged advocacy campaign continues driving federal and local action to protect victims of non-consensual deepfakes.

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Securing Human Control Over Nuclear Weapons

December 7, 2024
Defense Department

Through extensive engagement with congressional champions including Senator Ed Markey, Rep. Ted Lieu, and Rep. Jacobs, we united former defense officials, AI safety researchers, arms control experts, and National Security Council alumni to shape Section 1638. Our coalition's work ensures that while AI can strengthen early warning capabilities and strategic communications, human judgment remains central to critical nuclear decisions.

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