In this first unit, we'll build the foundational framework needed to understand AI governance - how society can steer the development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems. We'll examine why we might care about AI governance, who the key actors are, and how technical constraints shape policy possibilities.
AI governance isn't just about government regulation - Dafoe defines it as “the norms and institutions shaping how AI is built and deployed, as well as the policy and research efforts to make it go well”. Understanding this landscape means understanding what challenges AI brings, who makes decisions about AI, and what tools they have at their disposal. Through the AI Triad framework of algorithms, data, and compute, we'll examine the technical foundations that both enable and constrain governance choices.
We assume you understand the potential benefits and risks of advanced AI systems. If you don’t, please review Session 2: the Promise and Perils of AI from the 12-week AI governance course.

By the end of the unit, you should be able to:
\- Define AI governance
\- Identify the actors that might be affected by or involved in AI governance
\- Explain what the AI triad means for policymakers


Resources: Foundations of AI Governance

Exercises: Foundations of AI Governance

_Spend 15-20 minutes on this exercise_
In the box below, describe what you think the goal of AI governance should be. 
A goal should be a description of the world that you can strive to achieve. Some examples of famous goals include:
- US President Kennedy's goal to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade
- AT&T's early twentieth-century goal of "one policy, one system, universal service."
- The World Health Organization's 1959 goal to eradicate smallpox
Your goal should be ambitious. It might not even feel achievable. Aim big: tell us what you want the world to look like when AI governance succeeds, as you define it.
Then, explain why you think that should be the goal. Consider other goals for AI governance and how they might complement or contradict yours.


What is the goal of AI governance?

AI Governance Fast-Track

Learn why AI governance matters, who the players are, and what technical factors shape our choices.

Foundations of AI Governance

Discover the concrete tools governments can use to steer AI and the hard tradeoffs they face.

The AI Policy Toolkit

Explore how the US, EU, and China are actually governing AI through eight types of regulation.

How AI is Governed Today

See how the most powerful AI companies are setting their internal rules.

Governance at Frontier AI Companies

Examine concrete proposals for future AI governance, from compute governance to defensive acceleration.

AI Governance Fast-Track

Resources: Foundations of AI Governance

Resources (1 hr 30 mins)