Think tank · Policy · London (UK office); Washington, DC (U.S. office) · Est. 2016
The Centre for the Governance of AI (GovAI) is a non-profit think tank focused on frontier AI governance research and AI governance talent development. GovAI says it was founded in 2016 at Yale University, became an academic center at the University of Oxford in 2018, and then left the university in 2021 to become an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Its mission is to help key decision-makers navigate the transition to advanced AI by producing research and running talent programs designed to strengthen the field’s ability to make high-stakes governance decisions. GovAI’s research work targets the institutions and mechanisms needed to govern advanced AI systems, including topics such as frontier AI regulation, risk management, threat modeling, compute governance, and technical approaches to governance. In parallel, GovAI runs structured fellowship pipelines (including UK “Seasonal Fellowships” and a Washington, DC “DC Fellowship”), plus other part-time and program formats such as its remote AI policy program (GovAI Policy Program / GAPP) and a U.S.-focused AI policy program designed to accelerate or launch careers in U.S. AI policy. Strategically, GovAI positions itself as both a research producer for governments and companies and as a talent “hub” that feeds expertise into policy and safety roles. In 2025, GovAI reports relocating its UK presence from Oxford to central London and reporting increases in fellowship hosting and application volume, while also building its Washington, DC presence—steps it frames as enabling continued growth and broader engagement with decision-makers across government, industry, and civil society.
Seasonal Fellowships are three-month opportunities designed to accelerate or launch impactful careers in AI governance and policy. The fellowship has both a Research Track and an Applied Track.
Annual Report 2025GovAI's Annual Report 2025.
DC Fall Fellowship 2025 Wrap Up - What Did Our Fellows Work On?We are proud to highlight what our 2025 DC Fall Fellows have been working on.
Summer Fellowship 2025 Wrap Up - What Did Our Fellows Work On?We're proud to highlight what our 2025 Summer Fellows have been working on.
David Autor, Katya Klinova & Ioana Marinescu on the Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent MachinesIn the spring of 2018, MIT President L. Rafael Reif commissioned the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future. He tasked them with understanding the relationships between emerging technologies and ...
Annual Report 2023 + Q1 2024GovAI's Annual Report 2023 + Q1 2024.
GovAI announced a DC Research Manager role for co-responsibility over design, selection, setup, and execution of the biannual DC editions of its flagship Seasonal Fellowships program. The post includes an application deadline and role scope around managing research work for fellowship cohorts.
Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) role — one-year residency to start new governance/safety projectsGovAI published an Entrepreneur-in-Residence announcement describing the EIR’s purpose (launching a new organization or project in AI governance and safety) along with the role’s stated runway and seed funding via partner funders.
Head of US Policy — leadership role to direct federal policy research and build GovAI’s DC presenceGovAI posted an announcement for a Head of US Policy role describing responsibilities for directing federal policy research and helping drive a Washington, DC buildup, with reporting to Executive Director Ben Garfinkel.
DC Winter Fellowship 2027 — dates and description of the three-month DC fellowship programGovAI announced that DC Winter Fellows will join for three months in Washington, DC, from January 18 to April 9, 2027, describing the program’s bipartisan focus and a supervised research project.
GovAI U.S. AI Policy Program — bipartisan, part-time 12-week program from early September to early December 2026GovAI announced details for its U.S. AI Policy Program, including that it will run from early September to early December 2026 and describes the weekly time commitment and the in-person/remote options for synchronous sessions near the DC office.
GovAI published its Annual Report 2025, describing its 2025 work and organizational updates including reported increases in operational capacity, London office relocation timeline, and plans for DC growth.