The Sentient Foundation has officially announced its establishment. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) remains open source, decentralized, and aligned with human interests.
As the AGI race accelerates, the foundation was established at a critical juncture in AI development. The decisions we make today at this turning point will directly determine whether this transformative technology serves all of humanity or becomes a tool of power in the hands of a select few.
Key challenge: AGI cannot be monopolized by a few companies.
Today, some of the most powerful foundational models—such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Claude—are owned and controlled by private companies. This should not be the case. This technology, which has the potential to define the future of humanity, must not be locked within corporate walls, subject to shareholder interests rather than the well-being of society.
However, we still have reason to be optimistic. Models like DeepSeek and Qwen have demonstrated that open-source AI can rival or even surpass closed-source solutions. The question now is no longer whether open-source AI can compete, but whether we can build the necessary infrastructure, community, and support systems to ensure its ultimate victory.
This is precisely the purpose of the Sentient Foundation: to empower researchers, developers, and institutions that contribute to truly open-source AI, enabling everyone to utilize and participate in the development of open-source AGI.
“Just as Linux became the cornerstone of the open internet, we believe that open-source AGI will also become the cornerstone of human progress,” said Sachi Kamiya, Director of Venture Capital and Growth at the Sentient Foundation. “Our mission is to ensure that AGI is never controlled by a single entity and to ensure that its development remains transparent, fair, and consistent with human values.”
Guardians of Open AGI
The Sentient Foundation will operate as a neutral and transparent guardian of the Open AGI ecosystem, with responsibilities encompassing research, governance, and global outreach.
Advocating for value alignment and security: Establish relevant standards to ensure that the development of AGI aligns with human values and is subject to appropriate oversight.
Global research collaboration: Attracting top AI researchers, academic institutions, thought leaders, and government agencies to serve as ambassadors and advisors.
Developer Support: Providing financial assistance and support to the global open-source developer community.
Governance Framework: Coordinate and establish an inclusive governance structure to develop AGI responsibly.
Public advocacy: Actively promote open-source AGI as the right path to achieving beneficial AI through public forums such as the "Open AGI Summit" .
Drawing on successful historical experiences
The foundation was inspired by the most successful open-source movement in technological history. Linux powers the vast majority of servers worldwide; Apache supports most web services; and Android democratized mobile computing. The Sentient Foundation believes that, given its importance, AGI not only needs to adopt this open model, but it is also urgent.
Collaboration with Sentient Labs
The Sentient Foundation works alongside Sentient Labs , a leading technology research and product organization in applied AI. Sentient Labs serves as the innovation engine—conducting research in inference, value alignment, and multi-agent coordination, and building frameworks such as ROMA and open-source models such as Dobby; while the Foundation ensures that this work consistently serves the larger goal of achieving “open, aligned AGI.”
Join this movement
The Sentient Foundation invites AI researchers, developers, institutions, policymakers, and advocates to join us. Through global conferences, partnerships, and community initiatives, the Foundation is building the necessary alliances to ensure AGI benefits everyone.
