Draft 0.1 — prepared . A proposed statement of purpose and institutional commitments, for discussion and revision. It has not been formally adopted and is separate from any future legal constitution.
Our purpose
AIPEX exists to advance understanding and public judgement about artificial intelligence, and to develop the people and institutions responsible for governing it.
We begin with an ambition to build an institution that serves generations beyond our own. We want AIPEX to endure for a thousand years and more, remaining useful as the questions before society change. Its reputation must rest on work that deserves trust.
Understanding and judgement
We will study artificial intelligence and its consequences with care. We will distinguish what is known from what is uncertain, examine the assumptions behind our conclusions and change our views when the evidence warrants it.
Disagreement belongs within this work. We will engage seriously with competing arguments and make room for reasoned criticism, including criticism of AIPEX itself. Arguments should be assessed on their evidence and reasoning, with attention to the experience of people affected by the decisions under discussion.
Education in the public interest
We will help people develop the knowledge, skills and judgement to act responsibly. Our teaching should connect technical understanding with the realities of public institutions and people’s lives.
We will judge education by what learners come to understand and become able to do. We will use demanding, transparent standards and seek ways for capable people to participate regardless of wealth or existing connections. Our first courses are free; future programmes should retain a clear commitment to access.
The public purpose of this work extends beyond individual advancement. We want better-informed decisions, more capable institutions and a wider ability to understand and question how AI is governed.
Knowledge put to work
We will learn from the experience of making and implementing policy. Teaching, inquiry and practical work should inform one another.
As capacity develops, AIPEX may undertake research, convene practitioners, maintain public resources and work with institutions on specific problems. We will choose activities we can deliver well and assess whether they help. Claims of influence or impact should be supported by evidence, with our contribution distinguished from the work of others.
Independent judgement
We will protect the freedom to reach and publish conclusions that funders, partners or leaders may find inconvenient. Funding and relevant interests should be disclosed, and conflicts managed openly.
Support for AIPEX should not purchase favourable conclusions, appointments or distinctions. Partnerships should strengthen the purpose of the institution and preserve its ability to question assumptions. We will approach political questions with intellectual independence and a responsibility to the public.
A community of contribution
We want learners, teachers, practitioners and scholars to take responsibility for the quality of the institution they help create. People should find room to learn, contribute and challenge one another with respect.
Appointments and distinctions should carry clear duties and reflect demonstrated contribution. An AIPEX qualification, fellowship or publication should acquire meaning through the standards behind it. Such recognition must be described honestly as it develops.
Stewardship across generations
AIPEX should be able to continue beyond any founder, leader, donor or generation. As the institution develops, it should establish independent governance, accountable leadership and arrangements for succession.
Those entrusted with its resources should protect its educational purpose and its capacity to serve the future. Financial commitments should be sustainable. Reserves and, in time, an endowment may support that independence. The purpose should guide the use of resources and the decisions about growth.
Future stewards should be able to revise methods and programmes when circumstances change, while explaining how those changes serve the institution’s enduring purpose.
A lasting record
We will preserve significant teaching, research, decisions and institutional records so that later generations can examine and improve the work. We will credit sources and contributions, record corrections and respect privacy and confidentiality.
We intend to publish an annual account of what AIPEX has done, how its resources were used, what was learned and what remains unresolved. The charter itself should be revisited through a transparent process, with earlier versions retained.
Where we begin
We begin with two online courses and the task of finding out whether they help people do better policy work. Our immediate responsibility is to teach carefully, invite independent scrutiny, learn from participants and improve.
The standards established in this first work should be worthy of the institution we hope others will inherit.