New Cosmos Institute Launches AI Lab, Fellowship, and Venture Program
The Cosmos Institute, backed by Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark, establishes a human-centered AI lab at Oxford and launches a micro-grant venture program to blend philosophical thinking with AI development.
The Cosmos Institute, a nonprofit featuring Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark among its founding fellows, launches a venture program and research initiatives to cultivate a new generation of philosophically minded technologists. Led by chair and former Defense Department technologist Brendan McCord, the organization aims to equip entrepreneurs with deep philosophical thinking to navigate the uncharted territory of the AI age.
A major component of this launch is the Human-Centered AI Lab (HAI Lab) at the University of Oxford, led by Oxford philosopher Philipp Koralus. This lab focuses on translating philosophical principles of human flourishing into open source software and AI systems that respect human dignity and avoid harmful disruptions like mass job loss. Alongside the lab, the Institute introduces the Cosmos Fellowship, which supports four fellows for up to a year as they pursue independent projects exploring the intersection of AI expertise and deep philosophical insight.
The Institute also expands its reach through Cosmos Ventures, a low-overhead investment organization led by former DeepMind product lead Jason Zhao. Modeled after Emergent Ventures, this program provides micro-investments ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to support provocative prototypes, essays, and creative projects that explore fundamental questions about the philosophy of technology. The first cohort of projects has already received funding, with all grantees required to produce a major deliverable within three months.