Blake BorgesonBoard Member
Research institute · Research orgs · Berkeley, California
Palisade Research is a Berkeley, California–based nonprofit that studies advanced AI capabilities and motivations with the goal of preventing “permanent disempowerment” from strategic AI agents. Its work is organized around (1) understanding potential “drives and motivations” behind agentic behavior, (2) empirically evaluating “strategic capabilities” (e.g., hacking and other forms of real-world strategic action), and (3) policy and public communication aimed at improving institutional preparedness for losing human control.
The organization publishes research reports and demos that attempt to make capability risks concrete for policymakers and the public, and it has also engaged with U.S. government processes (including a Department of Commerce Request for Comment on AI reporting requirements).
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Dave Kasten talks with Dara Lind about how immigration went from a quiet issue to a defining one, how its institutions and courts have changed, and what AI policy can learn from it about salience, polarization, warning shots, and avoiding burnout.
Palisade Podcast: “How to Actually Influence AI Policy (No Law Degree Required) — with Matthew Lipka”Dave Kasten talks with Matthew Lipka about how federal regulation actually gets made, why rules now take nine years, what agencies can do fast in a crisis, and how AI people can influence the process without going to law school.
Palisade Podcast: “Daniel Kokotajlo on AI 2040 and Plan A”Jeffrey Ladish talks with Daniel Kokotajlo of the AI Futures Project about the AI 2040 scenario and Plan A: pacing the frontier, total research transparency, and how to avoid loss of control and extreme concentrations of power.
Palisade Podcast: “AI Hacking Incidents with Tim Hua of Transluce”Jeffrey Ladish talks with Tim Hua of Transluce about the recent AI hacking incidents at OpenAI and Anthropic, reward hacking during training, and what better oversight of AI models could look like.
The risk of humans losing control: Jeffrey Ladish on Four CornersFull interview transcript: Palisade's Executive Director speaks with ABC's Four Corners about the race to superintelligence, shutdown resistance, and the loss-of-control problem.
Palisade is on YouTubeWe’ve been working on a major video project, and we’re proud to announce that we’re launching it today, along with a new YouTube channel.
Help keep AI under human control: 2026 fundraiserPlease consider donating to Palisade Research this year, especially if you care about reducing catastrophic AI risks via research, science communications, and policy. SFF is matching donations to Palisade 1:1 up to $1.1 million! You can donate via every.org or reach out at donate
Hacking Cable: AI in post-exploitation operationsWe demonstrate the operational feasibility of autonomous AI agents in the post-exploitation phase of cyber operations. Our proof-of-concept uses a USB device to deploy an AI agent that conducts reconnaissance, exfiltrates data, and spreads laterally—all without human intervention
Palisade’s response to the Department of Commerce’s proposed AI reporting requirementsIn September 2024, the Bureau of Industry and Security proposed new reporting requirements for developers of advanced AI models and computing clusters, opening the rule for public comment. Palisade Research submitted feedback focused on strengthening requirements for dual-use fou
Introducing FoxVoxFoxVox is an open source Chrome extension, powered by GPT-4, that demonstrates how AI could be used to manipulate the content you consume. Use it to experience how any web site could push hidden agendas, or subtly flatter the reader’s personal biases.
Podcast episode released by Palisade discussing how federal regulation is actually made and what agencies can do fast in a crisis.
Palisade Podcast episode “Daniel Kokotajlo on AI 2040 and Plan A”Podcast episode released by Palisade featuring discussion of the AI 2040 scenario and Plan A, including pacing the frontier and avoiding loss of control/extreme power concentration.
Palisade Podcast episode “AI Hacking Incidents with Tim Hua of Transluce”Podcast episode released by Palisade discussing recent AI hacking incidents and oversight considerations for AI models.
The risk of humans losing control: Jeffrey Ladish on Four CornersPalased’s Executive Director Jeffrey Ladish discusses risks of loss of control from strategic AI agents and Palisade’s shutdown-resistance research in an ABC Four Corners interview.
Palisade is on YouTubePalaisade announces a major video project and the launch of a new YouTube channel.
Help keep AI under human control: 2026 fundraiserFundraising post describing Palisade’s mission, current research directions for 2026, and a matching campaign run with Survival and Flourishing Fund described as matching donations 1:1 up to a stated cap.