We provide funding to cover legal expenses related to AI safety whistleblowing, prioritizing cases about the safety of frontier AI systems.
Contact email: [email protected]
The LASST AI Safety Whistleblower Legal Defense Fund supports individuals who expose dangerous, harmful, illegal or unethical practices in the design, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence systems. Through financial assistance for legal expenses, the Fund removes barriers that might otherwise deter whistleblowers focused on ensuring AI systems and their developers serve the public interest and promote human flourishing.
The Fund will consider any case involving AI but prioritizes cases involving information relevant to the safety or alignment of frontier AI systems. As AI capabilities advance, individuals with inside knowledge of how these systems are developed at AI companies and then deployed across the public and private sectors serve as essential guardians of both immediate public welfare and the future of humanity. The Fund is designed to support good faith whistleblowing in the public interest by providing financial support to defray whistleblowing-related legal expenses.
The Fund is a program of Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology, furthering its mission to use legal advocacy to make advances in science and technology safer for people and the planet.
The Fund provides funding to cover attorney fees, court costs, and other legal expenses associated with:
The Fund assists both whistleblowers who expose concerns related to AI and also their supporters, with particular priority given to disclosures involving safety concerns associated with frontier systems. Areas of coverage include:
The Fund can assist even when concerning practices may not clearly violate existing laws, recognizing that current regulations may not adequately address emerging AI risks.
To be eligible for assistance, Whistleblowers must have legally acquired access to or direct personal knowledge of nonpublic information bearing on issues within the Fund’s Scope of Coverage and must be acting in good faith with the primary purpose of protecting the public interest, rather than for personal gain. A Whistleblower must either have (1) disclosed or be seriously considering disclosing such information or (2) be seriously considering pursuing impact litigation designed to advance AI safety and accountability on the basis of such information.
The Fund may provide limited assistance to third parties who face legal challenges due to their support of a Whistleblower. This may include, for example, family members facing legal threats, colleagues who corroborate disclosures, journalists covering whistleblower revelations, or attorneys who provided initial consultation to whistleblowers. Supporters must demonstrate that their legal needs directly arise from their connection to the whistleblowing activity. Supporters’ interests must be aligned with the interests of the supported Whistleblower. In the event a conflict of interest arises between the Whistleblower and a Supporter, the Fund will cease support of the Supporter.
The Fund reserves the right to decline assistance to any applicant, even those who meet the eligibility criteria described above, based on factors including but not limited to resource limitations, strategic considerations, case complexity, and alignment with the Fund’s mission and priorities. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee that assistance will be provided.
The Fund provides grants to defray certain covered expenses (defined below) for Whistleblowers and Whistleblower Supporters.
The Fund’s staff is responsible for evaluating and awarding funding. Certain funding may also require approval by LASST’s Board of Directors before being awarded.
Support for Whistleblowers will be assessed based on the reasonableness of the expenses being covered and the impact of the funding on the Fund’s mission. While financial need may be considered among other factors when evaluating funding to cover expenses for Whistleblowers, no showing of need is required. The purpose of the Fund is to reduce barriers to good faith AI safety whistleblowing, even by those who might otherwise be able to afford to cover their own legal expenses.
Support for Whistleblower Supporters will be assessed by evaluating need in addition to reasonableness and impact on the Fund’s and LASST’s missions.
The information applicants must submit will depend on the circumstances, but may include:
Case Information, such as the expected impact of the whistleblowing activity and how it aligns with the Fund’s mission, and information about any anticipated retaliation or related legal action(s).
Budget Information, such as estimated total legal costs and timeline, itemized breakdown of expected expenses (attorney fees, court costs, expert witnesses, etc.), fee arrangements with counsel (hourly rates, retainer requirements, contingency terms), and documentation of costs already incurred.
Legal Representation Details, including the identity and qualifications of proposed counsel, law firm, or organization providing representation, scope of representation agreement, any co-counsel or consulting attorney arrangements, and conflicts of interest disclosures (including any existing connections to LASST or the Fund).
Other Supporting Documentation, including any retainer agreements or engagement letters, court filings or legal documents (as appropriate), invoices or cost estimates from service providers, and communications regarding fee arrangements.
Evidence of Financial Need, where applicable (see Grant Evaluation Criteria section above).
All covered expenses must be reasonable under the circumstances.
Any funding provided prior to expenses being incurred will be provided on the following conditions:
The Fund may provide financial assistance through flexible disbursement arrangements tailored to each client’s circumstances:
Payments to Service Providers The fund may directly pay service providers for covered fees and costs. When possible, the Fund prefers to pay legal service providers directly rather than disbursing funds to clients.
Client Reimbursement for Incurred Expenses When direct payment to a service provider is not an option, the Fund may reimburse clients for covered expenses already paid, upon submission of invoices, receipts, and documentation showing the expenses were directly related to the whistleblowing matter. Reimbursement requests should be submitted promptly after expenses are incurred.
Advance Payment to Counsel The Fund may pay attorneys directly in advance of services being rendered. This arrangement requires:
Advance Payment to Client Only when necessary will the Fund pay clients for covered expenses not yet incurred instead of directly paying the service provider. The client must use the payment to pay the service provider, and must promptly submit proof once they have done so.
Hybrid Arrangements The Fund may combine reimbursement and advance payment methods as circumstances require. For example, the Fund might reimburse a client for initial consultation fees already paid while simultaneously providing advance funding for ongoing representation.
Funding Conditions Apply to All Methods Regardless of disbursement method, all funding remains subject to the Fund’s standard conditions, including requirements for periodic reporting, return of unused funds, and restriction of use to approved expenses.
Attorney Fee Award Recovery If a court or administrative body orders an opposing party to pay attorney fees under applicable fee-shifting statutes or contractual provisions, and those fees are based on legal services funded by the Fund, the fee award must be used to reimburse the Fund’s expenditures on the case.
Windfall Provision If a client receives damages or a fee award exceeding their losses and the Fund’s expenditures, the Fund requests—but does not require—that the client consider donating a portion of such recovery to support AI safety research, policy development, or related public interest efforts.
Client Considerations All clients must acknowledge this fee awards and damages policy in writing before the Fund provides assistance for expenses that might result in a fee award or damages. The Fund will provide a clear accounting of all expenditures subject to potential reimbursement.
The Fund will not publicly disclose the identity of any funding recipient without explicit written consent, except if:
The Fund may publish general statistics about its activities and impact in aggregate form. Case studies or success stories will only be shared with explicit written consent from the individuals involved. All identifying information will be removed from any public communications unless the Fund is specifically authorized to disclose the information.
Submitting an application or contacting the Fund does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Potential funding applicants remain solely responsible for meeting all legal deadlines, including statutes of limitations for potential claims. Contacting the Fund does not pause or extend these deadlines. Potential funding applicants with urgent deadlines should seek immediate legal counsel while their application is under review.
The Fund cannot and does not guarantee assistance to anyone. Limited resources require careful case selection based on the criteria outlined above. A decision not to provide assistance is not a judgment on the legal merits of a case.
The Fund cannot and does not guarantee the outcome of any legal matter or proceeding. Funding does not ensure a favorable result, and past successes do not predict future outcomes. Each case depends on its unique facts and circumstances, and litigation inherently involves uncertainty and risk.
LASST does public advocacy work in addition to the other services it provides, like those provided through the Fund. LASST has a policy designed to separate its funding work from its public advocacy work and will not use any information from a funding applicant client in public advocacy work without the funding applicant’s express written consent.
When LASST provides referrals or recommendations to third-party attorneys, law firms, or legal or other support organizations, such referrals are provided solely to assist funding applicants in locating additional support. LASST does not guarantee or assume any responsibility for the professional competence, conduct, performance, or results achieved by any third-party service providers to whom referrals are made. The decision to retain any third party service provider rests solely with the individual seeking representation, and LASST disclaims all liability for any damages, losses, or adverse outcomes that may arise from the conduct or representation provided by any referred third-party service provider. Individuals are encouraged to independently verify the credentials, experience, and suitability of any referred service provider before engaging their services.
The Fund does not provide tax advice regarding the treatment of grants, financial assistance, or other benefits provided to recipients. The tax consequences of receiving assistance from the Fund may vary depending on individual circumstances, the nature of the assistance provided, applicable tax laws, and other factors. Recipients are strongly advised to consult with their own qualified tax professionals regarding the potential federal, state, and local tax implications of any assistance received from the Fund. The Fund disclaims all responsibility for any tax consequences, penalties, or liabilities that may arise from a recipient’s treatment of Fund assistance for tax purposes.
Please contact us for an initial consultation before sharing detailed information.
If you believe there is an imminent danger to public safety, contact appropriate emergency services first. Do not share potentially classified government information or any material that it may be illegal or a crime to possess or share.
Important Note: The Fund is a legal defense fund, not a leaks platform or anonymous tip service. We provide financial support for legal expenses to whistleblowers, potential whistleblowers, or those who support them. We do not accept anonymous information dumps or unverified tips.