Montreal AI Ethics Institute

What Montreal AI Ethics Institute does

Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI) is an international non-profit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Its mission is to democratize AI ethics literacy and equip citizens, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to engage with the societal impacts of artificial intelligence. MAIEI operates as a research, publishing, and convening organization rather than a software company; it does not develop or commercialize AI products.

Its core product surface consists of human-authored editorial content distributed via open-access channels. Flagship offerings include The AI Ethics Brief (a bi-weekly email newsletter with 190+ published issues), the State of AI Ethics Report (SAIER) annual publication series (seven volumes since 2020, with Volume 8 in development for 2026), the AI Ethics Living Dictionary, and Research Summaries of academic work. Specialized column series — AI Policy Corner (with GRAIL at Purdue University), Tech Futures (with RAIN), and Recess (with Encode Canada and McGill students) — round out the content portfolio. The organization also operates a Learning Community platform and hosts convening events, notably a workshop at the FAccT 2026 conference in Montreal.

MAIEI's business model is donation- and membership-funded, with all primary outputs provided free of charge. There is no pricing model, no paying customer base, and no disclosed revenue. The organization is structured as a horizontal non-profit serving four primary persona segments — researchers and academics, policy makers and government officials, AI practitioners and industry professionals, and the general public — with advocacy NGOs as a secondary segment. Strategic credibility is reinforced by consortium memberships (NIST AI Safety Institute Consortium, Partnership on AI, AI Alliance, LF AI & Data Foundation) and academic collaborations (Purdue GRAIL, McGill, Encode Canada).

Name

Montreal AI Ethics Institute

Legal name

Montreal AI Ethics Institute

Website

https://montrealethics.ai

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI) is a 2018-founded international non-profit that publishes open-access research, a bi-weekly newsletter, and annual reports on AI ethics, serving researchers, policymakers, AI practitioners, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Ethics Research and Education

NAICS

Information (51), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro primary industry

Responsible AI, AI Governance & Compliance Services (BPAEAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regulatory Readiness & Audit Automation (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001) (HDAAAMAE)

Keywords

• AI ethics research
• Responsible AI governance
• AI policy analysis
• AI literacy education
• AI ethics publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: As an international non-profit organization founded in 2018, MAIEI operates primarily through donations and likely membership contributions to support their mission of democratizing AI ethics literacy

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI) is an international non-profit research and education organization that produces open-access content on AI ethics. Its core offerings include the bi-weekly AI Ethics Brief newsletter, the annual State of AI Ethics Report (SAIER), the AI Ethics Living Dictionary, research summaries, and collaborative column series (AI Policy Corner, Recess, Tech Futures), all distributed for free to democratize AI ethics literacy among citizens, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

Product overview

The Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI) is an international non-profit organization founded in 2018 that operates as a content and research publication organization rather than a software product company. Its offerings include The AI Ethics Brief (bi-weekly newsletter), the State of AI Ethics Report annual publication series, the AI Ethics Living Dictionary, Research Summaries, and multiple column series (AI Policy Corner, Recess, Tech Futures). These products work together to democratize AI ethics literacy and equip citizens to take action on AI's societal impact through accessible research, policy analysis, and educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The AI Ethics Brief: A bi-weekly email newsletter summarizing the latest research and reporting in AI ethics
• State of AI Ethics Report (SAIER)

Products and services

• The AI Ethics Brief A bi-weekly email newsletter delivering summaries of the latest AI ethics research and reporting to subscribers worldwide, helping them stay informed about AI governance developments.
• State of AI Ethics Report (SAIER) An annual comprehensive report series analyzing the global state of AI ethics, covering responsible AI innovation, governance, geopolitical influences, environmental impacts, and social implications of AI.
• AI Ethics Living Dictionary An online dictionary providing definitions and explanations of AI ethics terminology, supporting AI literacy and education for citizens concerned about AI's societal impact.
• Research Summaries Concise summaries of academic papers on AI ethics, providing accessible breakdowns of scholarly work on topics such as stereotypes in LLMs, responsible AI practice, feminist metaethics of AI, and social impact of generative AI.
• Learning Community A community platform supporting AI literacy and education, connecting individuals interested in understanding and engaging with AI ethics concepts and responsible AI practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 190+ issues of The AI Ethics Brief published
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) at NISTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAIEI is listed as a member of the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium at NIST, contributing to national AI safety initiatives and standards development in the United States.
• Partnership on AIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAIEI is a partner member of the Partnership on AI, a multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to advancing responsible AI development and deployment.
• The LF AI & Data FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAIEI is a member of the LF AI & Data Foundation, an organization supporting open-source AI and data projects and standards.
• The AI AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAIEI is listed as a member of the AI Alliance, a collaborative network focused on advancing responsible AI research and development.
• Governance and Responsible AI Lab (GRAIL) at Purdue UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership producing the AI Policy Corner series - a joint content initiative providing insights on critical AI policy developments from local to international levels.
• Responsible Artificial Intelligence Network (RAIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership producing the Tech Futures series, challenging mainstream AI narratives by centering rigorous research over industry claims. Joint workshop hosting at FAccT 2026 conference.
• We and AIsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Crafting Participatory Tech Futures workshop at FAccT 2026, supporting community-centered approaches to AI governance.
• San Diego Supercomputer CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Crafting Participatory Tech Futures workshop at FAccT 2026.
• KairoisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Crafting Participatory Tech Futures workshop at FAccT 2026. Kairoi is founded by Ismael Kherroubi Garcia, who also co-leads RAIN.
• Encode CanadasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partnership featuring university students' perspectives on AI ethics through the Recess series, with contributors from McGill University chapter.
• McGill UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with researchers including Ana Brandusescu (PhD Candidate) and Prof Renée Sieber contributing to MAIEI publications and events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AlgorithmWatch: European non-profit researching and advocating on algorithmic decision-making and AI accountability. Comparable as a mission-driven non-profit using publications and analysis to influence AI governance.
• Partnership on AI: Multi-stakeholder non-profit convening industry, civil society, and academia on responsible AI. MAIEI is itself a partner member, and both share a mission of translating AI ethics research into governance frameworks and public guidance.
• Ada Lovelace Institute: UK-based research institute studying AI and data ethics with a focus on society and policy. Highly comparable as a similarly sized non-profit research and policy body producing accessible reports for policymakers and the public.
• Future of Life Institute: Non-profit focused on existential and ethical risks of transformative AI, producing policy research, open letters, and grant programs. Comparable to MAIEI as a thought-leadership and policy advocacy organization in AI ethics.
• Center for AI Safety: Research-focused organization dedicated to AI safety, producing research and convening leaders. Operates in the same AI ethics and safety publication ecosystem as MAIEI's SAIER report and AI Ethics Brief.
• AI Now Institute: US-based research institute producing annual reports and policy analysis on AI ethics, accountability, and social impact. Closely comparable to MAIEI as a non-academic research and policy organization publishing flagship reports on responsible AI.
• Data & Society: Research institute studying the social implications of data-centric technologies. Operates in the same AI ethics and governance research niche as MAIEI with focus on societal impacts and policy.

Emerging players

• Responsible AI Institute: Organization providing AI governance assessments and certification, founded by Montreal community members including a co-lead of MAIEI's RAIN partner network. Operates in adjacent ethics and governance tooling with a more commercially oriented model.

Broad incumbents

• IEEE Standards Association (Ethically Aligned Design): Standards body behind Ethically Aligned Design and the IEEE 7000 series for ethical AI. A broader incumbent producing normative frameworks and standards that intersect with MAIEI's governance focus.
• Stanford HAI (Institute for Human-Centered AI): University-affiliated institute producing AI policy research, education, and convenings at meaningful scale. A broader incumbent in the AI ethics and policy space with far larger resources than MAIEI.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mtlaiethics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mtlaiethics
• Facebookfacebook.com/mtlaiethics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montreal AI Ethics Institute