Fathom Launches Bipartisan Group of Former Governors, National Security Leaders, and AI Experts to Advance Independent AI Oversight

Fathom, an independent nonprofit working to build and scale AI governance policies, today announced a new Executive Council made up of former governors from both parties, national security leaders, technology executives, and AI experts. The Council will help guide Fathom’s work to build out its independent verification organizations (IVOs) framework and support society’s successful transition to a world shaped by AI.

Fathom developed and championed the IVO framework in which qualified, independent experts, licensed by the government, evaluate AI models and systems against public standards. Fathom sponsored California’s SB 813, which was signed into law in September and established the nation’s first IVO framework. Fathom is also working to advance the bipartisan FRONTIER Act led by U.S. Reps. Lori Trahan and Jay Obernolte, which would establish independent verification as a core pillar of federal AI oversight.

“Bringing about meaningful AI oversight that works at the speed of this technology is a generational challenge that will take a big-tent approach, across sectors, partisan divides, and even international boundaries,” said Andrew Freedman, CEO and Co-Founder of Fathom. “The Council we’re launching today is made up of leaders who know how complex policy needs to work, whether in state governments, national security agencies, and the businesses developing the technology itself. We want their experience to help shape independent AI oversight that works in practice and guide how we navigate the transition to a world shaped by AI.”

Fathom’s Executive Council includes:

• Michèle Flournoy, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors

• Stephen E. Biegun, Former Deputy Secretary of State

• Douglas Beck, Former Director, U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and Principal Staff Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; Former VP Americas, Northeast Asia, and Worldwide Health, Education, and Public Sector, Apple

• Jack Shanahan, Lieutenant General (USAF, Ret.); Adjunct Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

• Steve Bullock, Former Governor of Montana; Former Attorney General of Montana

• Brian Sandoval, Former Governor of Nevada; President, University of Nevada, Reno

• John Giannandrea, Former Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, Apple

• Gillian Hadfield, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of AI Alignment and Governance, Johns Hopkins University

• Geoffrey Irving, Former Chief Scientist, UK AI Security Institute; Cofounder and Chief Scientist, Resolution

• Peter L. Levin, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Amida Technology Solutions, Inc.

• James Adams, Senior Advisor and Executive Council Secretary, Fathom

Read more about the council here.

“AI is a national security issue, both when it comes to the integration of AI systems at the Pentagon and within the Intelligence Community, and in preventing and mitigating potential catastrophic harms. We need AI governance solutions that account for those realities, and I look forward to helping shape Fathom’s approach.” – Michèle Flournoy, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors

“AI will have consequences for American competitiveness and security well beyond any one administration. Getting this right will require people from across the political spectrum working together. Fathom recognizes that challenge and is bringing together leaders with different perspectives and experience to help build an approach that can stand the test of time.” – Stephen E. Biegun, Former Deputy Secretary of State

“I’ve spent much of my career working to deliver impact at the intersection of technology, scale, and public purpose, both in government and in the private sector. I am proud to join Fathom’s Executive Council, and look forward to helping meet the challenge of building AI governance that leaves the world better than we found it — and that works in practice, not just on paper.” – Douglas Beck, Former Director, U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and Principal Staff Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; Former VP Americas, Northeast Asia, and Worldwide Health, Education, and Public Sector, Apple

“As I know from personal experience leading two pathfinder AI programs in the Pentagon, robust test and evaluation is critical to the successful adoption of AI. We immediately learned the value of independent testing, verification, and validation. Our commercial partners understood and welcomed this approach. The stakes were too high to accept anything else.” – Jack Shanahan, Lieutenant General (USAF, Ret.); Adjunct Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

“States are going to play a major role in how AI is regulated, and they need policies they can actually implement. Governors and legislators need access to credible expertise as they make decisions about how to protect the public while supporting innovation, and I welcome the opportunity to partner with Fathom as they engage state leaders in the AI governance conversation.” – Steve Bullock, Former Governor of Montana; Former Attorney General of Montana

“AI could bring enormous benefits to states like Nevada, from education to economic development, but people need to have confidence in the technology. States need to be able to embrace those opportunities without asking their residents to simply trust that the technology works as promised. I look forward to partnering with Fathom to help ensure that perspective helps shape the future of AI governance.” – Brian Sandoval, Former Governor of Nevada; President, University of Nevada, Reno

“I’ve spent much of my career building AI technology, and I’ve seen both its enormous potential and how difficult it can be to understand and anticipate its behavior. As these systems become part of more people’s lives, we need thoughtful approaches that support innovation while building public confidence. I appreciate Fathom’s focus on bringing together people who understand the technology, the policy challenges and the practical realities of both.” – John Giannandrea, Former Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, Apple

“A traditional model of regulation where governments attempt to achieve their goals by setting detailed technical and operational requirements for regulated entities cannot keep pace with the demands artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies are placing on our society. I have worked with Fathom for years and know how seriously they take the challenge of building effective AI governance. I’ve seen firsthand the important work Fathom is doing to figure out how we bring more technical expertise into the system while ensuring democratic accountability.” – Gillian Hadfield, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of AI Alignment and Governance, Johns Hopkins University

“AI companies are racing towards superintelligent AI systems much faster than technical progress on understanding and mitigating safety concerns, including catastrophic risks such as loss of control to AIs. Fathom is helping to map out what our policies and institutional responses should be to this challenge, both to cover risks that technical mitigations do not cover, and to buy the time needed so that technical research might succeed.” – Geoffrey Irving, Former Chief Scientist, UK AI Security Institute; Cofounder and Chief Scientist, Resolution

“I’ve worked on enough government technology deployments to know that implementation matters just as much as the original idea. If independent verification is going to work, agencies need to know who qualifies to do the testing, what benchmarks they’re using, and what happens when a system fails. Only if system owners can trust the oversight process will it achieve its full promise.” – Peter L. Levin, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Amida Technology Solutions, Inc.

“The AI revolution is creating a set of extraordinary challenges at a speed and scale never before experienced. Fathom is at the forefront of developing new solutions that will help America and the world adapt to create safe outcomes that will improve global security where it is most needed.” – James Adams, Senior Advisor and Executive Council Secretary, Fathom

About Fathom

Fathom is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to build a governance architecture that helps society navigate the transition to a world with AI by fostering trust, safety, and innovation. Fathom has developed and championed the independent verification model for AI and works with policymakers across the country to put it into practice. Learn more at fathom.org.

Media Contact

Hannah Lindow: hannah@fathom.org