Earth Alignment is an independent research initiative exploring how AI alignment can account for the long-term stewardship of Earth systems. Research efforts include:

1 Explore how Earth stewardship goals might be defined

We work with input from a range of experts who research, fund, and steward nature. We facilitate convenings and review towards a usable framework, and explore processes and mechanisms that may be needed to hold the moralistic plurality while safeguarding natural systems.

2 Build usable technical artifacts for AI labs to train and test Earth alignment. Share openly and support use.

We work with AI research scientists to develop tactical approaches including a constitution, reinforcement learning and red teaming frameworks, and more. We publish openly and connect advisors.

3 Surface opportunity areas where applied AI can benefit Earth

We convene experts to identify these directions and accelerate public momentum towards funding and building these use cases.

Mission and Motive

AI will shape and translate much of human impact on Earth’s planetary health, as people use it to make decisions and act on the physical world. We are in a finite window of malleability when we can still influence what values AI internalizes and reflects.

AI ethics and alignment efforts focus on ensuring important human thriving, but do not intentionally and rigorously incorporate environmental sustainability. Yet orienting towards a habitable healthy planet will be critical to achieving human and business goals.

Embedding environmental stewardship into AI design today faces the complexity of tradeoffs in natural systems and human interaction. Those with the expertise to navigate—climate and nature leaders—have not yet translated their decades of strategy for AI guidance.

We can act and must now before AI’s guiding values are set to ensure they are imbued with Earth stewardship goals.

More

Explore the research agenda, foundational work, research notes, and opportunities to collaborate.