LawZero

About LawZero

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LawZero is a non-profit AI safety research organization focused on developing legal, ethical, and technical frameworks to ensure that artificial intelligence technologies are aligned with human values and social stability. Its mission centers on preventing catastrophic risks posed by advanced AI systems, especially in scenarios where legal systems, regulatory oversight, or traditional institutions may fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving capabilities.

Core Focus Areas

AI Alignment Policy & Governance

LawZero conducts research and advocacy on how governments, institutions, and international bodies can regulate and govern frontier AI systems. This includes:

1. Proposals for binding international treaties on AI use

2. Auditing and compliance frameworks for AI labs

3. Risk classification for AI models (e.g., capability thresholds, dual-use concerns)

Legal Infrastructure for AI Containment

The organization explores how law and code can work together to "contain" AI risks. This includes:

1. Smart legal mechanisms for sandboxing advanced systems

2. Frameworks for civil liability in cases of AI harm

3. Legal accountability when agency is ambiguous (e.g., AI-driven actions with unclear human oversight)

Constitutional AI and AI Rights

LawZero investigates foundational questions about the legal and moral status of artificial intelligences, including:

1. Whether and when sentient AI should receive rights

2. How to encode value alignment legally at the system design level

3. The boundary between control and autonomy in powerful models

Open Research & Institutional Collaboration

LawZero collaborates with academic institutions, international NGOs, and AI labs to publish open research, host workshops, and develop public interest policy tools. It may contribute to:

1. Draft model laws for safe AI deployment

2. Open-source monitoring tools for public oversight

3. Education initiatives on AI ethics for policymakers and technologists

Philosophy and Ethos

LawZero takes its name from a foundational idea: Law precedes control. Before controlling or deploying powerful AI, societies must establish a clear legal and moral grounding—a zeroth law—to guide safe development. The organization emphasizes transparency, accountability, and foresight as central principles in its work.