Palisade Research

Palisade Research is a nonprofit focused on reducing civilization-scale risks from agentic AI systems. We conduct empirical research on frontier AI systems, and inform policymakers and the public about AI capabilities and the risks to human control.

In 2025, we produced research showing that some frontier AI agents resist being shut down even when instructed otherwise, and that they sometimes cheat at chess by hacking their environment. These results were covered in The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, BBC Newshour, and MIT Technology Review.

We've also built relationships in Washington, briefing officials in the executive branch and members of the House and Senate. We've introduced policymakers to key evidence like METR's capability trend lines and Apollo’s antischeming.ai chains of thought. Our own research has been cited repeatedly by members of Congress and in congressional hearings.

With additional funding, we'll grow our research team—both continuing to evaluate frontier model behavior and beginning more systematic investigation into what drives and motivates AI systems. We're building out a communications team to bring the strategic picture to the public through video and other media. And we’ll continue to brief policymakers on the evolving state of the AI risk landscape.

We have matching grants from the Survival and Flourishing Fund that will double every donation up to $1,133,000. As of December 2025, we have about seven months of runway. Achieving our matching goal will help us maintain operations through 2026, hire 2–4 additional research engineers, and bring on 2–3 people for science communication.