The Future Society

The Future Society (TFS) is a nonprofit organization focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and the rule of law. The Future Society has noted the advancement in AI technologies and provides research and training on technology trends and potential issues. TFS has provided policy and regulatory advice on implementing and updating laws and regulations as technology advances. The Future Society co-founded and cohosts a yearly gathering of interested parties, participates in various conferences and forums, and publishes research.

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Tech Policy
Website: www.thefuturesociety.org
Founded:

2014

President:

Nicolas Miaihle

Location: Boston, MA View on map
Tax ID: 81-3568099
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $3,722,409 Revenue: $3,406,697 Expenses: $1,927,009

Contents

    History

    The Future Society was founded in 2014 and based in the United States and Europe with a mission to align artificial intelligence through better governance. 1 The Future Society was originally founded as an incubator at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and later became an independent nonprofit think tank. 2

    The Future Society participates in conferences; organizes and hosts panels, workshops, and debates; and produces research and publications. 3

    Positions

    The Future Society is focused on artificial intelligence and the rule of law. 4 TFS is concerned that the speed of AI advancement is outpacing laws and regulations and is working to brief policymakers in the U.S. and European Union on current developments and concerns. 4 In 2023, the Future Society began a renewed focus on U.S. federal and state AI policies to ensure they are impartially and fairly enforced. 4

    Since 2018, the Future Society began working with EU policymakers to develop laws and guidelines on AI trustworthiness, risk and quality management, safety, security, precaution, and fundamental rights. 5 The Future Society has made proposals to further strengthen EU AI laws and regulations. 6

    The Future Society asserts that to research costs most advancement in AI will be in the private sector rather than the academic or public sectors. 7 As artificial intelligence systems become more capable, TFS notes it may be more difficult to forecast how they may be misused or will interact with society. 7 TFS has begun focusing on risks in the research and development of advanced AI systems and addressing risk mitigation to avoid large-scale incidents for safe, ethical, secure, and trustworthy AI. 7

    Programs

    One of the main goals of The Future Society is to host, participate, and facilitate conferences and discussions on artificial intelligence and governance. 3 In 2019, The Future Society co-founded its largest yearly event, the annual Athens Roundtable for artificial intelligence leaders. 6 The 2022 event hosted over 1,000 participants from 112 countries to gather and discuss AI governance. 6

    In 2022, The Future Society along with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Open Society Foundations launched an online course on artificial intelligence and the rule of law. 6 The course focuses on opportunities and risks associated with the adoption of AI in judicial systems. 6 The Future Society also produced a model protocol for using AI technology in technology assisted review in legal discovery. 6

    The Future Society supported the governments of Ghana and Tunisia in 2022 in developing AI policies, ethical guidelines, and developed implementation plans to achieve respective national objectives. 6 TFS has provided research and advisement for the government of Rwanda on AI strategy. 3

    Financials

    In 2021, the Future Society had net assets of $156,416. 3 According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2021 The Future Society recorded $755,388 in revenue and $725,188 in expenses. 3 In 2020, the Future Society raised $996,245 in revenue and $847,713 in expenses. 8

    The Future Society has received grants from the Mozilla Foundation and the Jain Family Institute, and received a $250,000 grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation in 2022. 9 In 2021, the Future Society disclosed receiving grants of €101,592 (approximately $108,000) from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and €74,075 (approximately $79,016) from the Minderoo Foundation. 10

    Leadership

    Nicolas Miailhe is the founder and president of The Future Society. 11 Miailhe is a member of the Network of Experts on AI (previously OECD AI Expert Group), the UNESCO High Level Expert Group on AI Ethics, AI Expert at the World Bank, and member of the United Nations Sciences-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment. 12 Miailhe has been a lecturer at the Paris School of International Affairs and the IE School of International Relations in Madrid, Spain and senior visiting research fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 12

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $3,722,409 $3,406,697 $1,927,009 View
    2023 $2,255,683 $2,173,381 $1,193,671 View
    2022 $1,253,020 $2,090,712 $1,075,832 View
    2021 $384,730 $755,388 $725,188 View
    2020 $194,111 $951,298 $838,001 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 7

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Nicolas MoesEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$170,430
    Niki LliadisDIR. GLOBAL AI GOVERNANCE$128,957
    Yolanda Lannquist-Thru 1024DIR, GLOBAL AI GOVERNANCE$116,705
    Bell ArdenOPERATIONS DIRECTOR$107,300
    Emily GillettDIR OF EU AI GOVERNANCE$105,350
    Nicolas MiailhePRESIDENT/ CO-FOUNDER$19,000

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $3,586,614
    • Number of Grants: 26
    • Number of Funders: 11

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,000,0002022 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $402,2552023 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $365,0002023 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $303,7342023 Every.orgONLINE SUPPORT FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES
    $300,0002023 Laidir Foundation C/o Brian LonerganIMPROVE AI GOVERNANCE
    $250,0002022 The Patrick J Mcgovern Foundation IncTO SUPPORT MULTISECTORAL RIGHTS BASED AI PRACTICE AND THEORY THROUGH POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONVENING
    $170,0002023 The Patrick J Mcgovern Foundation IncTO SUPPORT THE 5TH EDITION OF THE ATHENS ROUNDTABLE
    $130,0002020 Founders PledgeGeneral support
    $126,0002024 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
    $120,0002021 Future of Life InstituteADVOCACY AROUND THE EU AI ACT
    $84,0002022 Founders PledgeGENERAL SUPPORT
    $47,0002024 Founders PledgeFUND CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
    $40,0002024 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $37,0002020 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $35,0002023 Future of Life InstituteADVOCACY TO ALIGN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE THROUGH BETTER GOVERNANCE
    $35,0002020 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $30,0002020 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $20,0002024 Fathom Ai IncSUPPORT OF ATHENS ROUNDTABLE.
    $20,0002020 The Jain Family InstituteGENERAL UNRESTRICTED
    $15,0002022 MOZILLA FOUNDATIONTo support research involving mapping AI auditing/certification schemes and assessing their alignment with the proposed EU AI Act.
    $15,0002021 MOZILLA FOUNDATIONTo support research involving mapping AI auditing/certification schemes and assessing their alignment with the proposed EU AI Act.
    $11,0002023 Founders PledgeGENERAL SUPPORT
    $10,0002024 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $10,0002022 The Jain Family InstituteSPONSORSHIP OF THE 2022 ATHENS ROUNDTABLE
    $10,0002021 The Jain Family InstituteGENERAL UNRESTRICTED

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $6,373
    • Number of Grants: 1
    • Number of Recipients: 1

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $6,3732021 Multiple EUROPE (INCLUDING ICELAND & GREENLAND) RecipientsSPONSORSHIP FOR THE ATHENS ROUNDTABLE (OR PROGRAM SERVICES)

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “The Future Society.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefuturesociety/about/; “Overview.” The Future Society. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://thefuturesociety.org/about-us/.
    2. “Nicholas Miailhe.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmiailhe/.
    3. The Future Society, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2021.
    4. “AI and the Rule of Law.” The Future Society. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://thefuturesociety.org/theme/ai-and-the-rule-of-law/.
    5. “European AI Governance.” The Future Society. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://thefuturesociety.org/theme/european-ai-governance/.
    6. “2022 Annual Report.” The Future Society. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://thefuturesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2022-Annual-Report.pdf.
    7. “Global AI Governance.” The Future Society. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://thefuturesociety.org/theme/global-ai-governance/.
    8.  The Future Society, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2020.
    9. “The Future Society.” CauseIQ. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/future-society,813568099/; “The Future Society.” Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://www.mcgovern.org/grants/?exposed_mf_search=Future%20Society&exposed_grant_approval_date_sort=date_desc&FZEWGNafiqRBuoy=0dfbn.rMQwW&iwNIhrR=VSjdZGI9sn5FUH&mb_nJCugrtsAIHc=%5BG3iIlaOL0vuBdj
    10. “The Future Society.” Lobby Facts EU. Accessed October 15, 2023. https://www.lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/the-future-society?rid=473310732515-30.
    11. “Our Team.” The Future Society. Accessed October 9, 2023. https://thefuturesociety.org/team-member/nicolas-miailhe/.
    12. “Nicolas Miailhe.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 9, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmiailhe/details/experience/.