Peaks and Valleys: Mapping Gaps in the AI Governance Landscape

An Editorial Note from Fathom

Artificial intelligence is on the cusp of transforming nearly every aspect of our lives. The public — in America and around the world — is increasingly calling for solutions that ensure AI is being safely implemented. Yet governments are struggling to navigate this new technological landscape in ways that are responsive to their communities and that harness the partnership of industry, civil society, and other countries.

This report aims to answer a central question at the heart of governance efforts: where are the gaps in AI governance? We analyze the current landscape across key domains, evaluate policy gaps against public concern and expert-assessed risk, examine why governance hasn’t met the moment, and identify cross-cutting solutions where attention and resources should be directed to address multiple challenges simultaneously.

We approach this report from a position of great faith in AI’s power to improve lives, as well as real concern about its potential to disrupt society if poorly managed. At Fathom, we believe that effectively navigating this transition will determine what the next century looks like: will it be one of division and distrust, or one of empowerment and progress guided by transformative technology?

In systematically mapping the state of AI governance today, this report takes a first step toward understanding how to frame governance priorities, diagnose why current efforts fall short, and identify how to close critical gaps. By providing a framework for understanding gap types and their causes, we aim to open a conversation that guides policymakers in architecting real solutions that bring about a strong, safe, and secure AI century