About CivAI
CivAI is a non-profit that educates the public about AI's capabilities and dangers using live software demonstrations. Instead of research papers and abstract discussion, we produce interactive software experiences that provide a deep, intuitive sense of what AI can do and where it’s going. We present these demos to targeted audiences and make scalable versions available to the public.
CivAI is aiming for a world where people deeply grasp AI’s abilities, and make better decisions because of it. This is a world that holds AI developers responsible for the externalities they are producing, while also finding use cases that transform lives for the better. CivAI’s work brings a new kind of evidence to the discourse—simple, intuitive, and incontrovertible because users can interact with it firsthand.
Since its founding in 2023, CivAI has delivered 100+ briefings to organizations across civil society (on AI-cyber risks, deepfakes, and elder fraud) and government (on biological risks, elections, and more). Our work has been featured on national television by ABC News and FOX, and in print by the New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME, CNN, and many others.
Leadership Team
Lucas Hansen
Co-Founder
Lucas brings 10 years of technology experience to CivAI. Previously, he founded Qualia, a real estate software company which serves millions of homeowners each year. As CTO, Lucas oversaw the company's product, engineering, and security functions. He holds a B.A. in computer science from Stanford University.
Siddharth Hiregowdara
Co-Founder
Prior to CivAI, Siddharth held various roles in product management and engineering at Qualia, a real estate software company. He received a B.A. from Dartmouth College where he studied computer science.
