‘Eugenics on steroids’: the toxic and contested legacy of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute

Founded in 2005 and lauded by Silicon Valley, the Nick Bostrom's centre for studying existential risk warned about AI but also gave rise to cultish ideas such as effective altruism

Two weeks ago it was quietly announced that the Future of Humanity Institute, the renowned multidisciplinary research centre in Oxford, no longer had a future. It shut down without warning on 16 April. Initially there was just a brief statement on its website stating it had closed and that its research may continue elsewhere within and outside the university.

The institute, which was dedicated to studying existential risks to humanity, was founded in 2005 by the Swedish-born philosopher Nick Bostrom and quickly made a name for itself beyond academic circles - particularly in Silicon Valley, where a number of tech billionaires sang its praises and provided financial support.