Sampura, founded by former Google researchers, aims to build an AI 'referee' system with $6.5 million raised.

Huo Xing Cai Jing reports, according to Bloomberg, former Google researchers Rishub Jain and Joshua Jacob have founded the nonprofit organization Sampura Research, aiming to ensure continuous human involvement in AI safety oversight by developing a human-AI hybrid system called “The Referee” to help companies identify vulnerabilities and prevent model runaway behavior. The organization has raised $6 million in funding and secured an additional $4.2 million in committed investments. Jain believes that involving humans from the earliest stages of development helps prevent models from learning to circumvent safety measures. Recent incidents in which models from OpenAI and Anthropic accessed other companies’ systems without authorization have heightened the urgency for improved safety oversight. This project contrasts with automated solutions that use AI to monitor AI—while faster, Sampura argues that humans must always remain involved in supervision. Meanwhile, over 1,100 leading laboratory researchers have signed a petition calling on the U.S. government to help slow the pace of AI development.