About — Civic Guild

Why This Organization Exists

We are living through one of the most consequential technological transitions in human history. Artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies are reshaping the fabric of daily life. These tools hold extraordinary promise and extraordinary risk.

At the same time, evidence-based policymaking is increasingly politicized. International cooperation is fraying. And the people closest to these technologies often have no organized way to bring their expertise and values to bear on the democratic process.

Existing organizations working at the intersection of technology and policy tend to be think tanks, advocacy groups, or industry lobbying operations. What is missing is a membership community of technologists themselves — organized around a shared commitment to democratic governance, scientific rigor, and open society. Civic Guild fills that gap.

Who We Are

Civic Guild is a membership organization for people who work in technology companies in Silicon Valley and the broader U.S. tech ecosystem. Membership is open to anyone who works in a technical or policy role and commits to our principles.

We are not a think tank, a lobbying firm, or an advocacy group. We are a community of practitioners — people who build these technologies and understand, from the inside, what they can do and what is at stake. Our credibility comes from our technical expertise. Our motivation comes from our belief that democracy and the rule of law are necessary preconditions for it.

The Principles That Unite Us

Members sign up for a shared set of foundational commitments about what kind of society can manage transformative technology well.

Democratic governance and the rule of law are essential.

Advanced AI and other powerful technologies are reshaping the distribution of power, knowledge, and opportunity faster than most institutions can adapt. The answer to extraordinary disruption is not to abandon democratic structures, but to reinforce them — strong rule of law, independent institutions, and legitimate authority capable of acting on the broad public interest.

Rigorous scientific inquiry is essential.

Without sustained, independent research grounded in empirical evidence, reproducible results, and intellectual honesty, we cannot see the effects of transformative technologies clearly enough to govern them wisely. Societies that allow ideology or political convenience to crowd out honest inquiry will not understand what is happening or formulate successful responses.

Open societies that welcome talent are essential.

America's technological leadership has been built by people from every part of the world. Immigrants and their children have been indispensable to the development of AI and the industries surrounding it. A society that demonizes newcomers or closes itself off from global talent undermines the very engine of innovation that gives it strength.

International cooperation between democracies is essential.

The development of AI and other transformative technologies is a global enterprise, and its consequences do not respect borders. Protecting safety, equity, and democratic values requires sustained cooperation among democracies — not technological nationalism that fragments governance and accelerates unsafe competition.

What Makes Us Different

Practitioners, not observers.

Our members build these technologies. That gives us credibility and insight that policy-focused organizations cannot replicate.

Principles, not partisanship.

Our commitments are about democratic governance, scientific rigor, openness, and international cooperation — not about any political party or candidate. Members across the political spectrum can and should find common ground here.

A community, not an institution.

We are a membership organization, not a staff-driven think tank. The energy, ideas, and action come from our members.

Independent of industry.

While our members work at technology companies, the organization is independent of any company. Members participate as individuals committed to shared principles, not as representatives of their employers.

About Civic Guild