The AI Futures Project has released an AI governance framework called Plan A and is now outlining research priorities needed to validate and refine the strategy.
The team acknowledges substantial uncertainty about the best path forward during rapid AI development and is seeking external researchers to help game out Plan A and competing governance proposals in detailed scenarios.
What happened
The AI Futures Project released AI 2040: Plan A and is now identifying follow-up research areas to address remaining uncertainties about navigating the intelligence explosion. The team notes significant work remains and invites external researchers to collaborate or join their efforts.
Why it matters
Plan A represents a strategic framework for slowing the intelligence explosion, but its feasibility and desirability depend on research not yet completed. The project is signaling that rigorous, scenario-based analysis of alternative AI governance paths—including Plan A itself—is essential groundwork before major decisions are locked in.
What to watch
The project is particularly interested in scenario-based research that games out multiple proposals for managing the intelligence explosion, since none have been fully worked through in public scenario form yet. Researchers interested in collaborating can contact the AI Futures Project directly.
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The AI Futures Project's framing signals a shift from strategy announcement to rigorous stress-testing. By releasing Plan A alongside an open research agenda, the team is essentially acknowledging that governance frameworks for transformative AI cannot be finalized in isolation—they require structured scenario analysis that examines assumptions, failure modes, and trade-offs against competing proposals.
The emphasis on scenario gaming is notable. The body states that "none of them have been publicly gamed out in scenario forma" (the text appears truncated, but the intent is clear: no alternative proposal has undergone detailed scenario analysis). This suggests the project sees scenario work not as optional polish but as foundational validation. Plan A itself is positioned as one proposal among many, rather than a final answer, which may indicate intellectual honesty about the limits of current knowledge on AI governance.
The call for external collaboration—inviting researchers to "get in touch" or join directly—reflects resource constraints and a recognition that the research surface is broad. By opening the agenda to public scrutiny and external contribution, the project may also be building legitimacy and distributed intellectual input for governance work that will eventually inform policy decisions.
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