Mission
Supporting whistleblowers in AI
For AI to transform our world for the better, we need to spot risks, issues, and misbehavior early. AIWI supports the people who do. No matter if you’re an insider, support organization, lawyer, or journalist – we’re here to help.
Get support
How we help
We help concerned AI insiders from day zero. See how:
01
Get a specialized whistleblowing attorney first.
>90% of AI insiders are not aware of the expert legal, strategic, financial, psychosocial, and security support available to them. Almost all insiders reach out too late, leading to mistakes and suboptimal impact.
So before you report, tell a colleague, gather more evidence, or even decide whether to speak up at all: Get a specialized whistleblower attorney.
Why is this the single most important thing?
Whistleblowing is extremely tacit and multi-faceted -- experienced attorneys look back on decades of experience.
You can speak openly with an attorney under privilege to receive advice tailored exactly to you. Consultations are free, through pro bono advice or covered by AI Whistleblower Defense Funds.
Talking to an attorney commits you to nothing. You can decide later, knowing more.
What if I only want to raise concerns internally?
You should absolutely still speak to an attorney: Specialized whistleblowing attorneys can help you devise strategies to speak up within your company in ways that maximize your safety and your impact?
Also: Did you know that internal whistleblowing policies are not legally binding?
02
Tread carefully as you consider a disclosure.
Companies commonly retaliate against whistleblowers who act fully lawfully. Being careful before, during, and after a disclosure means retaining your options.
Only use private devices.
Company surveillance covers any device signed into a work account, and every operation on it, down to opening a document. Never use work systems to research whistleblowing, contact lawyers, message colleagues on concerns, or store evidence.
To talk to a lawyer, your private phone and Signal are enough. For anything beyond that, or for highly sensitive disclosures, separate your environments. See our security guidance for more detail.
Document your concerns as they arise, starting now.
You do not want to re-open documents/ conversations as you're concretely preparing a disclosure, raising your risk profile. Rather, start taking dated notes surrounding your concern, your concern-raising, and signs of retaliation now.
Do so on paper or a personal device with no link to work systems.
Take pictures with a personal device of evidence and store them, as well as any notes you may take, safely.
Always do this based on counsel of a specialized whistleblowing attorney to avoid pitfalls.
Do not download, access, or take material you're not authorized to.
While collecting evidence for the purposes of lawful whistleblowing is legally protected, nuances exist. An attorney will be best able to instruct you.
03
Be aware: You may have more options than you may think.
Most AI employees don't know that they may be more protected and have more disclosure options than they'd think.
You are protected for disclosing more than "just" violations of the law -- to a variety of channels you should pick wisely
Did you know that...
- ...U.S. employees of frontier companies are protected when informing Members of Congress of "substantial and specific dangers to public health and safety"?
- ...companies making misleading safety claims may be protected under SEC rules?
- ...non-reporting of specific internal-deployment incidents is legally protected?
- ...the EU AI Office has a secure whistleblowing channel for reporting EU AI Act violations?
You probably did not! Specialized counsel can explain your option and help you set an impact strategy.
Strong support is available for AI insiders specifically.
Did you know that whistleblower defense funds exist to cover any cost associated with raising concerns?
That you could speak with ex-insiders who went through the journey? That psychological counselling is available (if required)?
That attorneys can advise you also on strategies on how to raise concerns internally and build coalitions?
Resources
Guides for AI Whistleblowers
Choose to read our comprehensive guides as a PDF or on the web, but remember: don’t download on work monitored devices. Find more on our guides page.
Speak up safely at a frontier AI lab
Written for employees at frontier AI companies. Learn which laws protect you, including SB 53 and federal contractor statutes, where you can report, from the SEC to the California Attorney General and Congress, how to protect your anonymity, and which pro bono whistleblowing attorneys to talk to before you do anything else.
Raising concerns on national security AI
For contractors working on AI with the US Department of War or the Intelligence Community. Understand the risks, from clearance revocation to Espionage Act exposure, what counts as a protected disclosure, how to report through Inspector Generals and Congress, and which attorneys handle classified cases.OFFERING
Get clarity and support on your concerns - all while staying safe
We want to make sure you get the best support available - as early as possible, as safely as possible. Tailored to AI insiders.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to our network
We could not operate without the dozens of individuals in the global AI, legal, and whistleblowing community that support us every day, and to whom we are extremely grateful.
Nathan Labenz, Delphine Halgand-Mishra, Igor Krawczuk, Kevin Wei, Jennifer Gibson, Laurens Prins, Matthijs Maas, Prof. Simon Gerdemann, William Saunders, Giovanni Pellerano of GlobaLeaks, Velsa, Joseph Carnarius, Tim Schreier, Toni Lorente, and many more
Learn more about AIWI
