António Varela CidOperations and Systems Specialist
Think tank · Policy · Geneva, Switzerland · Est. 2021
The Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) is a Geneva-based Swiss non-profit think tank focused on improving international cooperation on governing transformative technologies, with its current program emphasis on frontier AI diplomacy. SI’s core operating model combines (1) policy-relevant research that translates technical developments into actionable guidance for governments, (2) convening and exchange between technical and policy communities, and (3) direct education/briefings for diplomats and civil servants in Geneva and New York.
SI was launched in 2021 by co-founders Max Stauffer and Konrad Gerosa (formerly Konrad Seifert) to strengthen the multilateral system’s capacity to anticipate and mitigate global catastrophic risks, including those associated with emerging technologies. In 2023, SI narrowed its focus to AI governance, and since then has reported conducting dozens of AI governance briefings for diplomats and advising large numbers of diplomats during negotiations of major multilateral AI-related processes. Strategically, SI positions itself as an institutional bridge: it aims to connect frontier-technology understandings (including risks and governance solutions) to the needs of multilateral deliberation, and it highlights the practical challenge that policy ecosystems must reason under uncertainty and across long time horizons. SI also emphasizes behind-closed-doors engagement with decision-makers as a significant share of its impact.
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In this blog post our CEO, Max Stauffer, describes what he sees as a logical sequence of events in which AI agents from different companies and countries start interacting. He frames this future trajectory as a necessary area of frontier AI diplomacy that countries or companies a
Why Governments Matter in Preparing for Continued AI ProgressWhy governments need AI preparedness plans—and how lead agencies, national coordinators, and scenario planning can help manage advanced AI risks.
Frontier AI and Emerging Biological Risks. Will There Be a Mythos Moment for Bio?Introduction On 20 August, the Simon Institute hosted an official side event at the Ninth Session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Experts working at the frontier of AI and biosecurity came together to share a state-of-the-scie
The First Global Dialogue on AI Governance: Positions and Recommendations Moving ForwardThe inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance revealed both growing convergence and persistent geopolitical divides. While major powers differed sharply in their approaches, countries broadly agreed on the need to expand access to AI while managing cross-border risks. This co
2025 Annual ReportThe Simon Institute’s 2025 was defined by rapid progress on agentic AI, the second Trump term, international dialogues on AI, and the adoption of two multilateral AI governance mechanisms. Read the full 2025 Annual Report for more.
Open AI Beyond the Binary: Access, Capacity and RiskAs AI capabilities advance, the debate around open-source and open-weight models is becoming more consequential. Open approaches can support innovation and wider access, a potential recognized in the Global Digital Compact. More capable systems, however, also raise increasingly i
Growing an Organization for an Information-rich WorldFive years on from the founding of the Simon Institute for Longterm Governance, we are growing to 15+ FTE. This commentary reflects on where the organization came from, how our thinking has evolved, and why Herbert Simon’s work continues to inform our work today.
Translating Scientific Evidence into Action: Emerging Priorities for AI GovernanceHow can scientific evidence better inform practical AI governance? This event summary reflects on key themes from a high-level discussion at the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, including emerging areas of scientific consensus, gaps in the global evidence base, and priorities
Putting a Floor on the Global Consensus on AIOn 1 July 2026, the UN’s Independent International Scientific Panel on AI published its preliminary assessment of opportunities, risks, and impacts of AI. The Panel brings together a highly diverse group of 40 experts from 37 countries, and has developed this first joint summary
Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI: Bridging Global Evidence and Local Realities Through Scientific CollaborationThis event explores how the global scientific community can help shape AI that is safe, secure, and trustworthy.
SI published a CEO-authored commentary outlining a scenario for how interacting AI agents could create governance challenges and why governments may need to adapt how they respond to such incidents.
Why Governments Matter in Preparing for Continued AI ProgressSI published a policy commentary explaining why governments need their own AI preparedness planning and outlining roles and coordination mechanisms for preparedness activities.
Open AI Beyond the Binary: Access, Capacity and RiskSI published an event report about a co-convened session on cooperation for the diffusion of open AI, focusing on safety, security, and sovereignty alongside access and capacity-building themes.
Translating Scientific Evidence into Action: Emerging Priorities for AI GovernanceSI published an event write-up describing a Geneva side event and its organizing/collaboration set, focusing on translating scientific evidence into practical governance action for AI.
Putting a Floor on the Global Consensus on AISI published a commentary tying its analysis to the UN’s Independent International Scientific Panel on AI preliminary assessment and discussing what it implies for the evolving governance consensus.
Global Dialogue Briefing on the Responsible Diffusion of Open AISI published an event briefing page describing pre-Global Dialogue briefing series for diplomats and multistakeholders, co-hosted with multiple permanent missions, and the first briefing’s technical framing around responsible diffusion of open AI models.