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AUSTIN, Texas, May 16, 2025 — The �鶹��ýIOS (�鶹��ýIOS) and the Cosmos Institute today announced the Truth-Seeking AI Grants Program, a new $1 million initiative to fund open-source projects that build freedom into the foundations of AI, rather than censorship or control.

Truth-seeking AI: Why it matters

Truth-seeking AI is artificial intelligence built to expand the marketplace of ideas and sharpen human inquiry — not replace it.

AI already drafts our sentences, sorts our inbox, and cues our next song. But the technology is advancing rapidly. Soon, it could determine which ideas ever reach our minds — or form within them. Two futures lie ahead, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

In one, AI becomes a shadow censor. Hidden ranking rules throttle dissent, liability fears chill speech, and flattering prompts dull judgment until people stop asking “why.” That is algorithmic tyranny.

In the other, AI works as a partner in truth-seeking: it surfaces counter-arguments, flags open questions, and prompts us to check the evidence and our biases. Errors are chipped away, knowledge grows, and our freedom — and habit — to question not only survives but thrives. 

To ensure we build AI tools and platforms for freedom, not control, Cosmos and �鶹��ýIOS are putting $1 million in grants on the table to ensure the future of AI is free.

“AI guides a fifth of our waking hours. The builders of these systems now hold the future of free thought and expression in their hands. We’re giving them the capital, computing resources, and community they need to seize that opportunity,” said Brendan McCord, founder and chair of Cosmos Institute.

“The First Amendment restrains governments, but the principles of free speech must also be translated into code. We’re challenging builders to do exactly that and prioritize freedom over control,” said Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of �鶹��ýIOS.

“AI can already steer our thoughts. The future is AI that expands them, not controls them,” added Philipp Koralus, founding director, Oxford HAI Lab and Senior Research Fellow at Cosmos Institute.

To read more about why we need to bake principles of free thought and expression into AI code, check out Brendan McCord, Greg Lukianoff, and Philipp Koralus’s piece at . 

How it works

• Grant pool: $1 million (cash + compute); compute credits are from Prime Intellect, a platform for open, decentralized AI development
• Typical award: $1k – $10k fast grants; larger amounts considered for standout ideas
• Rolling review: decisions in ~3 weeks; applications open May 16 at 
• Sprint timeline: 90 days to ship a working prototype
• Community: access to a vetted network of builders, mentors, and advisors at the AI and philosophy frontier
• Showcase: Top projects funded by Nov 1, 2025 will be invited to demo at the Austin AI x Free Speech Symposium in December 2025; selection is competitive and at the program’s discretion

What we’re funding

• Marketplace of Ideas — projects that preserve viewpoint diversity and open debate.
• Promoting Inquiry — systems that actively provoke new questions, surfacing counter-arguments and open issues that require more study.
• Bold New Concepts — any approach that pushes AI toward the role of truth-seeking partner.

Illustrative projects:

We’re focused on prototypes that translate philosophy to code — embedding truth-seeking principles like  and Socratic inquiry directly into open-source software.

Possible projects could include:

• AI challenger that pokes holes in your assumptions and coaches you forward
• An open debate arena where swappable models argue under a live crowd score
• A tamper-proof logbook that records every answer on a public ledger.

About the �鶹��ýIOS (�鶹��ýIOS)

The �鶹��ýIOS (�鶹��ýIOS) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. �鶹��ýIOS educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for them, and provides the means to preserve them. Learn more at .

About Cosmos Institute

Cosmos Institute is a 501(c)(3) academy for philosopher-builders — technologists who unite deep reflection with practical engineering. Through research, fellowships, grants, and education, Cosmos advances human flourishing by translating philosophy to code across three pillars: truth-seeking, decentralization, and human autonomy. The Institute supported the creation of the new Human-Centered AI Lab at the University of Oxford, the first lab dedicated to embedding flourishing principles in open-source AI. Learn more at .

Media Contact
Karl de Vries, Director of Media Relations, �鶹��ýIOS
karl.de.vries@thefire.org | +1 215-717-3473