Summary

As topics surrounding AI and AI risk gain more public salience, we expect these discussions to become increasingly politicized, and for a number of AI-related proposals to be on the ballot.

Many AI safety university groups have mission statements centered on mitigating catastrophic AI risk. This might line up well with supporting particular policies, or politicians who are vocal about these risks and potential interventions.

To be clear, we believe groups can have a lot of impact through effective policy engagement! We’re excited for you to engage in permitted advocacy activities, and individual club members may conduct lobbying and political activity as private citizens on their own time.

However, as beneficiaries of a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, groups must adhere to strict legal restrictions on what they can do in this space when using the club’s name and resources (funding, mailing lists, etc.).

Advocacy, Lobbying, & Political Activity

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TL;DR:

(1) Lobbying and political activity are both disallowed but advocacy is permitted. In practice, the group must not make statements supporting or opposing particular candidates, parties, or policies, but can advocate broadly for AI safety, and advertise, e.g., general AI-risk protests.

(2) University groups funded or fiscally sponsored by Kairos and Hack Club are bound by strict legal restrictions on lobbying and political activity. This includes groups based outside of the US.

(3) Members are free to engage politically as they choose in their own time and on their own behalf. But you must adhere to these legal restrictions when acting on behalf of, in association with, or using the resources of the group.

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Quick Reference

Key Definitions for Advocacy, Lobbying, and Political Activity

Permitted ✅

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Advocacy:

• Advocacy is promoting a cause, issue, or set of ideas (e.g., raising awareness of AI risk and making the case for safety interventions) without trying to influence specific legislation or supporting or opposing candidates or parties. This is the core of what AI safety groups can and should do.
  • A useful test: if you're talking about a problem or a general type of policy, it's usually advocacy. If you're talking about a specific bill with a call to action, or a specific candidate or party, it isn't.
  • Non-partisan analysis and research also fall on the permitted side, even when they discuss specific bills, as long as they give a full and fair account of the facts and don't urge readers to contact legislators or vote a particular way.
• Examples:
  • Broadly advocating for safety policies: "regulating AI," "independent oversight," "pause/slowdown," "international cooperation," etc.
  • Running talks, reading groups, and workshops on AI risk and AI governance.
  • Publishing posts or op-eds arguing that AI should be regulated, that frontier developers need independent oversight, or that international cooperation is needed.
  • Promoting and attending general AI-risk protests or awareness campaigns that aren't centered on a specific bill, candidate, or party.
  • Sharing information about AI policy careers. </aside>

Not Permitted ❌

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Lobbying:

• Lobbying is any attempt to influence specific legislation. Under US tax law it comes in two forms:
  • Direct lobbying: communicating with a legislator, their staff, or another official involved in making legislation, where you refer to a specific piece of legislation and express a view on it.
  • Grassroots lobbying: communicating with the public (including your own members) where you refer to specific legislation, express a view on it, and encourage people to act, e.g., by contacting their representative.
• "Legislation" is broad and includes introduced bills, proposed bills, ballot initiatives, and referendums, at any level (local, state, national, and outside the US).
• Examples:
  • Emailing or meeting a legislator or their staff to urge them to support or oppose a named AI bill.
  • Posting in the group Slack or mailing list: "Call your senator and tell them to vote yes on the [X] Act."
  • Urging members to vote for or against an AI-related ballot measure (here the public acts as the legislature, so this counts as direct lobbying).
  • Signing an open letter for or against a specific bill in the group's name.
  • Using group funds or resources (printing, travel, venues) for any of the above. </aside>

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Political Activity:

• Political activity (in IRS terms, "political campaign intervention") is anything that supports or opposes a candidate for elected public office, directly or indirectly.
  • It covers candidates at every level (local, state, national) and, as noted above, in any country. Supporting or opposing a political party counts too, since it indirectly supports that party's candidates.
  • Intent doesn't matter: a statement can count if it could reasonably be read as favoring or opposing a candidate, even without saying "vote for," e.g., praising one candidate's AI stance shortly before an election.
• Examples:
  • Endorsing or criticizing a candidate or party in the group's name, on its website, social media, or Slack.
  • Donating group funds or resources to a campaign, or fundraising for one.
  • Promoting a canvassing, phone-banking, or rally event for a candidate through group channels, or handing out campaign materials at group events.
  • Publishing a scorecard or voter guide that rates candidates on AI safety.
  • Inviting a single candidate to speak during an election period without giving their opponents the same opportunity. </aside>

Acting Personally vs. on Behalf of the Group

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• In your own time and on your own behalf, you can take part in any political activity you like: canvassing, campaigning, donating, or sharing your views.
• On behalf of the group, or using its resources, the restrictions above apply. The group’s resources include:
  • Communication channels: the group Slack or Discord, mailing lists, and group chats. For example, inviting people to a canvassing event through the group Slack is not permitted.
  • Social media accounts (e.g., Instagram, X, LinkedIn). Posting, reposting, or sharing content that supports or opposes a candidate or party, or that urges action on a specific bill, counts as a statement from the group and is not permitted. Avoid liking or commenting on this kind of content from group accounts too, as it can read as an endorsement.
  • Funds, branding, events, and venues booked by the group.
• Talking politics among members is fine. Opinionated discussions of news and politics at social events are OK, but leadership should be particularly careful to make clear their views are their own, and not the group’s "official stance."
• Mentioning your plans is fine; promoting them through the group is not. You can mention in casual conversation that you’re going to, e.g., a canvassing event, but don’t endorse or sponsor it "on behalf of the group" or encourage members to attend through group channels. Leadership should be particularly conscious of this.
• Using your group title:
  • If you’re known as, or describe yourself as, e.g., "President of [Group] AI Safety" (in a social media bio, a byline, or when introduced at an event), your personal political statements can be read as the group’s.
  • When speaking or posting about candidates, parties, or specific bills in a personal capacity, don’t use group accounts, logos, or branding, and don’t present your group role as the basis for your view.
  • You may mention your group role for identification only, alongside a clear disclaimer, e.g., "views my own, not those of [Group] AI Safety." </aside>