About
Who We Are
The Canary Institute is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that the development of advanced artificial intelligence proceeds safely and in the public interest. Our name reflects our purpose: like the canary in the coal mine, we aim to detect and communicate dangers before they become catastrophic.
The Canary Institute was founded in 2026 by Daniel Parshall, Ph.D., a former physicist and data scientist, in response to the widening gap between the warnings issued by AI's own architects and the policy frameworks needed to act on them. The leading figures in AI research (including Nobel laureates, Turing Award winners, and the heads of major AI laboratories) have publicly stated that the technology they are building may pose an existential threat to humanity. When the architects themselves issue warnings of this gravity, civil society must respond with institutions equal to the challenge.
Our Approach
AI policy pulls from a lot of fields: ML, economics, governance, law, ethics. We don't think one set of specialists is going to solve it.
We are not opposed to artificial intelligence. We are opposed to negligence. The benefits are real; so are the risks. Our work assumes you can take both seriously at once, and that the policy choices about meaningful human control are the ones that decide which side wins.
Our Principles
Evidence Over Ideology
We follow the science and the data wherever they lead. We do not begin from a conclusion. If the evidence says the risks are lower than feared, we will say so. If higher, we will say that too.
Non-Partisan Independence
AI policy is not a left or right issue. It is a human issue. We accept no corporate funding that conditions our work, and we align with no political party or movement.
Clarity Without Distortion
The public deserves to understand what is happening. We translate technical research into accessible language without sensationalism or false reassurance.
Urgency Without Panic
The timelines for advanced AI capabilities are uncertain but may be short. This demands focused, serious action: not paralysis, not complacency, and not hysteria.
Team
Founder and Director
Daniel Parshall, Ph.D., former physicist and data scientist.
Coauthor, Measuring AI's Economic Reach (Canary Institute /
GWU Center for Economic Research, 2026).
Board of Directors and Advisors
The Institute's governance structure is being formalized in 2026.
Announcements forthcoming.