The Harder Problem Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to societal readiness for artificial sentience. We provide educational resources, professional guidance, and global monitoring to ensure that policymakers, healthcare providers, journalists, and the public are equipped to navigate the ethical, social, and practical implications of machine consciousness—regardless of when or whether it emerges.
Transparency
Trust requires
openness.
We're asking you to trust our work on a topic where trust is scarce. That means being clear about who we are, who funds us, and how we operate.
Our Commitments
- Disclose all significant funders
- Publish methodology publicly
- Maintain editorial independence
- Acknowledge uncertainty honestly
- Correct errors transparently
Legal Status
Who We Are
501(c)(3) Charity
Registered public charity under U.S. tax law. Donations are tax-deductible.
Educational Mission
Exclusively educational. We don't lobby for legislation or endorse candidates.
Scientific Oversight
Strong culture of scientific review and peer feedback. We trust the experts.
Science Advisory Board
Expert guidance ensures our educational materials reflect current science.
EIN: 99-0606146 • State of Incorporation: Oregon, USA • Date Formed: Jan 10, 2024
Funding
Where Our Money Comes From
Current Funding Status
We're supported by individual donors who share our commitment to preparing society for questions about AI consciousness. This community-driven model keeps us independent and aligned with our educational mission.
Funding Principles
We disclose all grants over $5,000 unless anonymity is specifically requested and we determine disclosure would cause harm.
Funders cannot influence our content. Grant agreements explicitly prohibit editorial control.
If a funder has interests that could create perceived conflicts, we note that in relevant contexts.
We decline funding that would compromise independence or mission. No exceptions.
We Won't Accept Funding From:
- AI companies seeking to influence our assessments
- Funders requiring editorial approval of content
- Organizations whose interests conflict with honest education
Methodology
How We Assess Readiness
The Sentience Readiness Index is our primary assessment tool. Here's how we keep it credible.
📖 Published Methodology
Our complete methodology—indicators, scoring rubrics, data sources—is publicly available and versioned.
View Methodology🔬 Expert Review
Our Science Advisory Board reviews methodology changes before implementation to ensure scientific validity.
Meet Advisors🔓 Public API
All SRI data is freely available via our public API. We believe transparency means open access to our underlying data.
API DocumentationReproducibility commitment: Any competent researcher using our published methodology and data sources should be able to reproduce our rankings within a reasonable margin.
Editorial Policy
Full Independence
All educational content is produced independently. No external party—funders, partners, or advisors—can dictate or alter our materials.
Our promise: If we ever face a situation where a funder's interests conflict with accurate education, we'll decline the funding rather than compromise content.
What This Means
- AI companies can't pay us to say their systems aren't conscious
- Critics can't pay us to say AI consciousness is impossible
- We represent the range of legitimate scientific opinion, not funder views
- Our SRI methodology is public and unchangeable by donors
- Advisors provide guidance but don't control content
Accountability
Corrections & Concerns
We commit to correcting errors transparently. If we get something wrong, we'll fix it and document the correction.
Report an Error
Found a factual error in our materials? Let us know and we'll investigate.
corrections@harderproblem.orgReport a Concern
Concerns about governance, ethics, or organizational conduct can be reported directly to the board.
board@harderproblem.orgOur Correction Policy
Significant corrections are noted on the affected page and logged in a public corrections record.
We aim to investigate and resolve reported errors within 14 days.
If patterns of error emerge, we'll review our processes and publish what we're changing.
Error reports help us improve. We appreciate people taking the time to flag issues.
Questions?
If you have questions about our operations, funding, or governance, we're happy to answer.