PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Anders Sandberg

Anders Sandberg is a researcher whose artificial intelligence work connects brain emulation with AI safety. He earned computer science and computational neuroscience degrees at Stockholm University in 1997 and 2003 and worked with Oxford's EU ENHANCE group in 2007. He coauthored a 2008 roadmap for whole brain emulation and a 2012 paper on Oracle AI control with Nick Bostrom and Stuart Armstrong. He co-chaired a May 2024 workshop on neurotechnology for AGI alignment and spoke about artificial intelligence at Oxford in January 2025. In February 2026, he discussed AI and human autonomy; as of October 2026, he works at the Mimir Center on space ethics, systemic risk, and whole brain emulation.

Now at
Mimir Center
Works
178
Citations
4,282
h-index
36

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 18 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1997–2003

    Studying neuroscience and computing

    He earns an M.Sc. in computer science at Stockholm University in 1997 and a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience there in 2003.

  2. 2007

    Postdoctoral research at Oxford

    He is a postdoctoral research assistant with the Oxford group of the EU ENHANCE Project at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics in 2007.

  3. 2008

    A roadmap for brain emulation

    With Nick Bostrom, he publishes Whole Brain Emulation: A Roadmap in 2008.

  4. 2012

    Writing about Oracle AI control

    In 2012, he coauthors the paper Thinking Inside the Box: Controlling and Using an Oracle AI with Stuart Armstrong and Nick Bostrom. The paper describes challenges in controlling a boxed Oracle AI that accepts strictly controlled input and answers questions.

  5. 2016

    Estimating energy for AI

    His 2016 report Energetics of the Brain and AI reviews estimates of brain bioenergetics and methods for estimating brain emulation energy needs. It argues that de novo AI could use different, potentially compressed and fast, processes.

  6. May 2024–January 2025

    AI alignment and physics

    In May 2024, he co-chairs a Berkeley workshop with 60 experts to explore how whole brain emulation and neurotechnologies could guide AGI alignment. At Oxford's theoretical physics colloquium in January 2025, he gives a talk on artificial intelligence's past, present, and future.

  7. February 2026

    AI and human autonomy

    In February 2026, he discusses how AI could make individual human autonomy optional and ways to preserve it.

  8. As of October 2026

    Research at the Mimir Center

    As of October 2026, he works at the Mimir Center on space ethics, systemic risk, and whole brain emulation.

Career

  1. NowMimir Center
  2. 2024–2025Institute for Futures Studies
  3. 2007University of OxfordPostdoctoral research assistant
  4. 1999–2005KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Education

  1. 2003Stockholm UniversityPh.D. in computational neuroscience
  2. 1997Stockholm UniversityM.Sc. in computer science

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. Cognitive Enhancement: Methods, Ethics, Regulatory Challenges2009 · Science and Engineering Ethics · 741 citationsWith Nick Bostrom
  2. Non-pharmacological cognitive enhancement2012 · Neuropharmacology · 180 citations
  3. Hacking the Brain: Dimensions of Cognitive Enhancement2018 · ACS Chemical Neuroscience · 162 citations
  4. Thinking Inside the Box: Controlling and Using an Oracle AI2012 · Minds and Machines · 144 citationsWith Nick Bostrom
  5. The Wisdom of Nature: An Evolutionary Heuristic for Human Enhancement2009 · 133 citationsWith Nick Bostrom

From OpenAlex, as of 18 October 2026.

  1. The median h-index is 54 at universities and 20 at frontier AI labsIncludes University of Oxford. The median h-index is 54 at universities and 20 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, citations and moves to estimate how universities and frontier labs contribute to AI research.
  2. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes University of Oxford. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.
  3. Stanford University trained or employed 27 of the 111 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Oxford. Stanford University trained or employed 27 of the 111 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and employment links for major-prize and best-paper winners.
  4. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Oxford. Our estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Anders Sandberg yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Interview with Anders Sandberg materialbeliefs.co.uk. Checked 18 October 2026.
  2. Future of Humanity Institute futureofhumanityinstitute.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  3. Recommended Materials – Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence chai.berkeley.edu. Checked 18 October 2026.
  4. Energetics of the brain and AI arxiv.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  5. Advancing Safe AI: Neurotech, BCI, and WBE for AI Alignment events.foresight.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  6. Theoretical Physics Colloquium: Anders Sandberg physics.ox.ac.uk. Checked 18 October 2026.
  7. Law, Liberty and Leviathan: AI and the Future of Human Autonomy foresight.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  8. Machine Consciousness Conference 2026 | Founding Assembly for Research machine-consciousness.ai. Checked 18 October 2026.
  9. Anders Sandberg — The Mimir Center mimircenter.org. Checked 18 October 2026.