Lifeboat Foundation

Existential risk reduction organization

Lifeboat FoundationFounder| Eric Klien

|

Type| Nonprofit organization
Purpose| Prevention of existential risk
Location|

* Gardnerville, Nevada

Website| www.lifeboat.com
The Lifeboat Foundation Guardian Award takes the form of an hourglass trophy as pictured, 2024

The Lifeboat Foundation is a nonprofit organization [1] based in Gardnerville, Nevada, dedicated to the prevention of global catastrophic risk.[2] Technology journalist Ashlee Vance describes Lifeboat as "a nonprofit that seeks to protect people from some seriously catastrophic technology-related events".[3] Prominent scholars from Lifeboat Foundation's Advisory Board includes 1986 Nobel Laureate in Literature Wole Soyinka, 1993 Nobel Laureate in Medicine Richard J. Roberts, 2002 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences Daniel Kahneman, and 2007 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences Eric Maskin.[4]

## Organization

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Lifeboat was founded by online dating service entrepreneur[5] Eric Klien, who continues to run Lifeboat as president and chairman of the board of directors.[6] The organization has raised over $500,000 in total donations from individuals and corporate matching funds programs, most of which went to "supporting conferences and publishing papers".[7] Writer and advisory board member Sonia Arrison describes the group as "basically a Website, that raises money for various things".[3]

In 2007, the Lifeboat Foundation absorbed an organization called the "Alliance to Rescue Civilization", which aimed to establish a disaster-proof record of human civilization on the Moon.[8]

Lifeboat has tried to raise more money by accepting donations in Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency. According to Fast Company, Lifeboat raised $72,000 in Bitcoin donations and pledges, and sought to use Bitcoin to protect itself against events such as the 2012–13 Cypriot financial crisis.[9]

The Board of Directors includes Eric Klien, Carl Martinez, Philippe van Nedervelde, Chris K. Haley, Sergio Tarrero.[10]

## Activities

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According to Fast Company, Lifeboat runs a number of "programs" to protect Earth against threats such as an asteroid impact, grey goo from molecular nanotechnology, and unfriendly artificial general intelligence.[11] Lifeboat maintains a list of "dozens and dozens" of catastrophic threats - including the eventual burnout of the Sun — divided into four main categories of "calamities", "collapse", "dominium", and "betrayal".[12] Journalist Ashlee Vance notes that it's "unclear how far along any of these projects is".[7]

The Lifeboat Foundation also publishes books, such as Visions of the Future,[13] an anthology of futurist and science fiction writing reviewed in the Financial Times.[14]

## Guardian Award

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The Lifeboat Foundation awards the Guardian Award every year to a leading scientist who has contributed most to the saving of humanity from existential risks.[15][16][17]

Recent award recipients include Steve Mann (2024) and Geoffrey Hinton (2023).

## References

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1. ^ https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
2. ^ Bilton, Nick (May 20, 2015). "Ava of 'Ex Machina' Is Just Sci-Fi (for Now)". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
3. ^ a b Vance, Ashlee (July 20, 2010). "The Lifeboat Foundation: Battling Asteroids, Nanobots and A.I." The New York Times. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
4. ^ "Lifeboat Foundation Advisory Boards". lifeboat.com. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
5. ^ Rainey, Sarah (February 11, 2015). "This 'King of Love' runs the world's largest dating agency". Business Insider. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
6. ^ Klien, Eric. "Eric Klien". Lifeboat Foundation. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
7. ^ a b Vance, Ashlee (December 15, 2011). "Guardians of the Apocalypse". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
8. ^ Burrows, William E. (February 2, 2007). "Colonize the Moon". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
9. ^ Ungerleider, Neal (April 2, 2013). "Funding A Non-Profit With... Bitcoins?". Fast Company. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
10. ^ "Board of Directors". Lifeboat Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
11. ^ Ungerleider, Neal (November 29, 2011). "How Stephen Wolfram Is Preparing For The Singularity". Fast Company. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
12. ^ Brin, David (June 17, 2012). "How will the world end?". Salon. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
13. ^ Bentham, Harry J. (March 31, 2016). "Book Review: Visions of the Future (2015)". H+ Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
14. ^ Cave, Stephen (January 8, 2016). "Is predicting the future futile or necessary?". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
15. ^ Pelton, Joseph N. Space systems and sustainability: from asteroids and solar storms to pandemics and climate change. Springer Nature, 2021.
16. ^ Pelton, Joseph N., and Pelton. Preparing for the next cyber revolution. Springer International Publishing, 2019.
17. ^ Schmidt, Nikola, ed. Planetary defense: Global collaboration for defending earth from asteroids and comets. Springer, 2018.

## External links

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* Lifeboat Foundation website