Renowned AI pioneer and Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a new nonprofit AI safety research lab focused on building aligned and secure artificial intelligence systems. The initiative, revealed in an interview with the Financial Times, marks Bengio’s most significant step yet in advancing the global AI safety agenda.
LawZero has raised $30 million in philanthropic support from leading figures including Jaan Tallinn, founding engineer of Skype, Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, as well as organizations such as Open Philanthropy and the Future of Life Institute. The lab’s name references the “Zeroth Law of Robotics,” a fictional principle that places the preservation of humanity above all other commands.
Bengio, often cited as one of the “godfathers” of deep learning, has emerged as a prominent voice warning of AI’s existential risks. He criticized the current direction of major AI developers, telling the Financial Times he has “little faith” that companies like OpenAI and Google will prioritize safety over speed in the race toward more advanced AI.
LawZero’s mission will center on designing frameworks and tools to ensure AI systems remain controllable, interpretable, and aligned with human values, particularly as their capabilities continue to accelerate. Bengio previously supported California’s SB 1047, a contentious AI safety bill designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic harm from advanced AI models.
The launch of LawZero adds new momentum to the AI safety movement, as global researchers and policymakers increasingly call for robust governance frameworks.
Featured image: Credit: LawZero
