The Partnership for Research into Sentient Machines (PRISM), the world’s first non-profit organisation dedicated to investigating and understanding sentient machines, announces its launches today.
As AI agents become more common and the idea of superintelligent AI gets closer, PRISM aims to create a global coalition to understand consciousness in AI.
This coalition includes partners from academia, industry, and government who will work together to ensure safe AI development and raise awareness about the risks and benefits of conscious AI.
Rapid advancements in AI are supported by large investments from both the public and private sectors.
Researchers in academia are increasingly discussing the ethical concerns of developing AI systems that might have consciousness or human-like emotions.
This makes PRISM’s collaborative approach to studying sentient AI even more important.
Conscium invests in PRISM
PRISM received its initial funding from Conscium, a research lab focused on conscious AI. It is developing safe, efficient neuromorphic models that behave more like biological brains, and making these technologies available to researchers and developers.
Dr Daniel Hulme, CEO and Co-Founder of Conscium, says “2025 is already shaping up to be the year of sophisticated AI agents. We’re not just talking about voice assistants like Alexa responding to simple queries, but AI systems that can operate in the real world to rationalise, adapt, and execute complicated tasks autonomously. That’s a fundamental shift in what AI can do and one of the big reasons that PRISM is such an important initiative. As we see further breakthroughs and the possible emergence of AI consciousness, PRISM’s mission only becomes more important.”
The organisation is now looking for more funding from other partners.
The initiative is led by Will Millership, PRISM’s CEO, who has extensive experience leading communications and projects for AI organisations across academia and the private sector.
Previously, he was the Director of the General AI Challenge, and he worked with GoodAI on policy and governance of Human-Level AI.
He was part of the Scottish AI Alliance, the organisation tasked with actioning Scotland’s National AI Strategy, helping to establish Scotland as a leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical, and inclusive AI.
Will Millership, CEO of PRISM, says, “PRISM was born out of an urgent need to bring together stakeholders from right across the ecosystem to collaborate on conscious AI. Now is the time for major tech leaders, policymakers, researchers, and governments to investigate and take seriously the profound implications of AI consciousness to shape the future of AI responsibly.”
Radhika Chadwick is the Non-Executive Chair of PRISM. She is the Founder and CEO of ImpactLoop, a consultancy that connects academic research with real-world applications to drive change in international development.
“PRISM is an opportunity to enact real change to public policy and raise awareness of the possibilities of AI, based on credible and thoughtful research,” adds Millership.
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