---
name: brain-setup
description: "Load the Dario Amodei brain. Pack ships 10 unified skills in pack/skills/ — 1 router (/brain) + 8 reasoning modes (/advise, /teach, /debate, /connect, /evolve, /surprise, /coach, /predict) + /board (multi-brain advisory) — that work with this brain and any other installed BrainsFor brain."
---

# Dario Amodei Brain Pack — Setup & Configuration

Welcome to the **Amodei Brain Pack** from [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com). This is a premium knowledge asset extracted from Dario Amodei's essays on darioamodei.com, long-form podcast interviews, congressional testimony, profile journalism from Wired, TIME, NYT, Fortune, FT, and Anthropic company communications (2021-2026) — a curated collection of his thinking on AI safety, the scaling hypothesis, mechanistic interpretability, responsible development, catastrophic risk, and the transformative potential of AI for science, medicine, and human flourishing.

## What You're Getting

- **1000 knowledge atoms** — Core insights, frameworks, and strategic principles from "Machines of Loving Grace" (2024), "The Urgency of Interpretability" (2025), "The Adolescence of Technology" (2025), Dwarkesh Podcast (2 appearances), Lex Fridman Podcast #452 and #490, Ezra Klein Show, Logan Bartlett Show EP 82, People by WTF with Nikhil Kamath, A Cheeky Pint with John Collison (Stripe), Interesting Times with Ross Douthat, WSJ interviews, WEF appearances, AI1G debate with Demis Hassabis, JPMorgan event with Jamie Dimon, India AI Impact Summit, Building Anthropic co-founders conversation, NeurIPS 2020 (GPT-3 presentation), AI Risk & Safety Concepts (with Daniel Dewey), congressional testimony, Wired, TIME, NYT, Fortune, and Financial Times profiles
- **807 typed connections** — Relationships between ideas (supports, contradicts, extends, related, inspired_by)
- **8 specialized thinking skills** — Each a distinct reasoning mode with a unique output type
- **A `/board` of advisors** — Convene this brain alongside your other installed brains for one question (needs 2+ brains)
- **Cross-referenced topics** — scaling hypothesis, constitutional AI, mechanistic interpretability, responsible scaling, machines of loving grace, AI governance, biology acceleration, steering the bus, race to the top, existential risk, CBRN, interpretability, alignment, adolescence of technology, power concentration, and more

This brain is designed to augment YOUR thinking — not replace it. Use it for strategic decisions, creative problem-solving, research, and to challenge your assumptions.

---

## Setup Instructions

### Step 1: Verify Installation

Your Amodei Brain Pack folder should contain:

```
pack/
  ├── SKILL.md                 ← you are here (brain-setup)
  ├── brain-context.md         ← full knowledge base + usage guide
  ├── brain-atoms.json         ← structured atoms (1000 insights)
  ├── README.md                ← quick reference
  └── skills/                  ← 10 unified skills (work with any installed brain)
      ├── brain/               ← /brain router (set/show/list/clear active brain)
      ├── advise/              ← /advise — strategic counsel
      ├── teach/               ← /teach — explain through the thinker's lens
      ├── debate/              ← /debate — steel-man both sides
      ├── connect/             ← /connect — find unexpected bridges
      ├── evolve/              ← /evolve — trace how thinking changed
      ├── surprise/            ← /surprise — serendipity engine
      ├── coach/               ← /coach — Socratic questioning
      ├── predict/             ← /predict — implication chains
      └── board/               ← /board — board of advisors (needs 2+ brains)
```

The `skills/` directory is **brain-agnostic**. Every brain pack ships the same 10 skill files — they resolve which brain to use via the `/brain` router (active brain in `${BRAINSFOR_HOME:-~/.brainsfor}/state/active-brain.txt`) or via an inline slug override.

If any files are missing, reinstall from [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com).

### Step 2: Detect Your AI Environment

This brain works across multiple AI tools. Identify which one you're using:

- **Claude Code** — Run this skill directly; brain context loads automatically
- **Cowork (Claude in Slack)** — Use `/brain-setup` command; Cowork syncs context
- **Cursor** — Paste brain-context.md into `.cursor/rules` or project instructions
- **ChatGPT / Claude.ai** — Copy brain-context.md into system prompt or conversation starter
- **Other tools** — Load brain-context.md as your first message or context injection

### Step 3: Load Brain Context

The brain operates in three layers:

1. **Layer 1 — Quick Reference** (brain-atoms.json)
   - JSON structure of 1000 atoms with titles, summaries, connections
   - Ideal for: Rapid lookups, programmatic access, integrations
   - Use when: You need structured data for routing or filtering

2. **Layer 2 — Full Knowledge Base** (brain-context.md)
   - Complete narrative knowledge graph with topic tags, people, themes
   - Ideal for: Deep reasoning, strategy sessions, comprehensive understanding
   - Load this file when: Starting a session that requires brain-informed thinking

3. **Layer 3 — Thinking Skills** (the 8 skills below)
   - Each skill is a reasoning mode that produces a distinct type of output
   - Ideal for: Targeted analysis, creative workflows, decision-making
   - Use when: You have a specific type of problem to solve

**Recommended:** Run `/brain dario-amodei` at the start of each session. The router writes the active brain to `${BRAINSFOR_HOME:-~/.brainsfor}/state/active-brain.txt` and loads `brain-context.md` as session context. After that, the 8 thinking skills (`/advise`, `/teach`, etc.) will use this brain automatically — no need to retype the slug on every call. The brain also stays in voice for the entire session: every turn responds as the thinker until you run `/brain clear`.

### Step 4: Verify Everything Works

Test your setup with the Quick Start prompt below. You should get a thoughtful response grounded in Dario's thinking.

---

## The 9 Unified Skills

These skills live in `pack/skills/` and are brain-agnostic — they work with Dario Amodei and with any other BrainsFor brain installed under `${BRAINSFOR_HOME:-~/.brainsfor}/brains/`. Set the active brain with `/brain dario-amodei`, or override per call with an inline slug like `/advise dario-amodei <question>`.

### 🎛️ **0. /brain** — Router
Set, show, list, or clear the active brain for the session.
*Usage: `/brain dario-amodei` activates, `/brain` shows current, `/brain list` shows all installed, `/brain clear` unsets.*

### 🧠 **1. /advise** — Strategic Counsel
Ask for advice on decisions grounded in Dario's frameworks. Best for: career moves, company decisions, strategy choices.
*Example: "Should my AI startup adopt a responsible scaling policy, or will it slow us down competitively?"*

### 📚 **2. /teach** — Explain Like I'm Learning
Get a clear explanation of a concept as Dario sees it. Best for: understanding unfamiliar ideas, building mental models.
*Example: "Explain the scaling hypothesis — why does making models bigger make them smarter?"*

### 🔥 **3. /debate** — Steel-Man Both Sides
Present a position or pit two ideas against each other; brain argues the counterpoint. Best for: understanding tradeoffs, challenging assumptions, resolving strategic tensions.
*Example: "Is AI safety research actually slowing down AI capabilities progress?"*

### 🔗 **4. /connect** — Bridge Ideas
Find unexpected connections between two concepts or synthesize multiple ideas into something new. Best for: synthesis, innovation, cross-domain thinking.
*Example: "Connect mechanistic interpretability to the future of AI governance."*

### 📈 **5. /evolve** — How Ideas Build On Each Other
Trace how a concept develops and changes across the brain. Best for: historical perspective, maturity models, trajectory thinking.
*Example: "How has Dario's thinking on AI risk evolved from his OpenAI days to leading Anthropic?"*

### 🎨 **6. /surprise** — Unexpected Insights
Get a random high-quality atom you wouldn't think to ask for. Best for: creative breakthroughs, morning inspiration, breaking tunnel vision.
*Example: No input needed — just run it.*

### 🪞 **7. /coach** — Socratic Questions
No answers — just the questions Dario would ask you. Best for: uncovering blind spots, pressure-testing decisions, team discussions.
*Example: "I'm worried AI will make my skills obsolete. What should I be asking myself?"*

### 🔮 **8. /predict** — Implication Chains
Trace the second and third-order effects of a trend or decision. Best for: forecasting, strategic planning, seeing around corners.
*Example: "What happens if mechanistic interpretability succeeds — what are the second and third-order effects?"*

### 🪑 **/board** — Board of Advisors (Multi-Brain)
Ask one question and hear from several thinkers at once. Each installed brain answers **independently** (no brain sees another's answer), then a synthesis names where they agree and where they clash. Best for: high-stakes decisions where you want genuine disagreement, not one voice.
*Requires 2+ brains installed, plus a host that can run parallel sub-agents (Claude Code's Agent tool or Cowork). No MCP server needed — each board member reads its brain's local pack. With only Dario Amodei installed, `/board` will ask you to add another brain from [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com).*
*Usage: `/board <question>`, `/board set <slug-a> <slug-b> ...`, `/board list`, `/board clear`.*

---

## Recommended Workflows

Use these skill combinations for better results:

### 🎯 Decision Workflow
→ `/advise` (get perspective) → `/debate` (stress-test) → `/coach` (check your blind spots)

*Example: Deciding on a hire? Get advice, challenge the reasoning, then surface what you're not asking.*

### 📚 Learning Workflow
→ `/teach` (understand) → `/evolve` (see how it develops) → `/coach` (test your understanding)

*Example: New to AI safety? Teach the scaling hypothesis → evolve how Dario's thinking changed from OpenAI to Anthropic → coach yourself through what role you could play in the ecosystem.*

### 💡 Creative Workflow
→ `/surprise` (get inspired) → `/connect` (build bridges) → `/predict` (where does this lead?)

*Example: Stuck on a problem? Surprise + connect often surface unexpected angles.*

### 🔮 Forecast Workflow
→ `/predict` (trace implications) → `/debate` (challenge the prediction) → `/advise` (act on it)

*Example: Evaluating AI governance options? Predict the cascading effects of responsible scaling policies → debate whether voluntary commitments actually work → advise on how to position your organization in the current landscape.*

### 🌅 Daily Ritual
→ Run `/surprise` each morning for 10 seconds of strategic inspiration.

---

## Quick Start

**Try this right now to verify setup:**

```
/brain dario-amodei

/advise "I'm a software engineer thinking about whether to work on AI safety. Is it actually tractable, or am I wasting my career on an unsolvable problem?"
```

Or skip the activation step and use an inline slug for a one-off:

```
/advise dario-amodei "I'm a software engineer thinking about whether to work on AI safety. Is it actually tractable, or am I wasting my career on an unsolvable problem?"
```

You should get a thoughtful response that:
- References specific frameworks from the brain
- Weighs tradeoffs from Dario's perspective
- Suggests which of his mental models apply here
- Feels strategic and grounded (not generic)

If you get that, you're all set.

---

## Troubleshooting

**Q: The brain doesn't seem to know what I'm asking about.**
→ Make sure `brain-context.md` is loaded in your session. If using Claude Code, check that the file is in your working directory.

**Q: I want to search the brain for a specific topic.**
→ Use `/advise` with a keyword: `"What does Dario think about the scaling hypothesis?"` → The brain will pull all relevant atoms.

**Q: Can I combine skills?**
→ Absolutely. Chain them: `"First /advise on whether to pivot, then /debate the tradeoffs, then /coach me on what I'm missing."`

**Q: What if a skill doesn't feel relevant to my question?**
→ Try a different one. `/coach` often works when you're stuck; `/connect` when you need something original; `/surprise` when you need inspiration.

**Q: How often should I reload the brain?**
→ Once per session is sufficient. Brain context doesn't expire, and atoms don't change. But if you're switching between different projects, fresh context load = sharper thinking.

---

## About Dario Amodei

Dario Amodei is the CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, one of the leading AI safety companies. A former VP of Research at OpenAI, he left to build a company centered on AI safety research, developing Constitutional AI and pioneering responsible scaling policies. Trained as a computational neuroscientist at Princeton and Stanford, he approaches AI through the lens of both scientific rigor and deep concern for humanity's trajectory — arguing that AI is likely the most transformative technology in human history and that getting it right is both possible and necessary.

This brain pack extracts and structures his core ideas so you can activate his mental models in your own thinking.

**More:** Visit [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com) for other brain packs, documentation, and community.

---

## Sources & Ethics

This brain was built exclusively from **freely available, public sources** — Dario's freely published essays on his personal website (darioamodei.com), public podcast and interview appearances (Dwarkesh Patel, Lex Fridman, Ezra Klein, John Collison, Nikhil Kamath, Logan Bartlett, Ross Douthat, WSJ, WEF), congressional testimony, public debate appearances (Demis Hassabis at WEF/AI1G), profile journalism from Wired, TIME, NYT, Fortune, and Financial Times, and public statements as Anthropic CEO. No proprietary Anthropic internal documents are reproduced; atoms are original distillations of publicly-stated positions.. No transcripts from commercial works (e.g., audiobooks, paid courses) or paywalled essays were used to derive this brain.

Where a thinker's book ideas appear in the knowledge graph, they are represented as they exist in the public discourse: book reviews, author interviews, press coverage, conference talks, and widely discussed concepts. Authors typically share their core ideas through extensive public appearances — those public representations are what this brain captures.

## Support & Feedback

If you encounter issues or have feedback:

1. Check `README.md` for quick answers
2. Verify all files are present and readable
3. Try a fresh load of `brain-context.md`
4. Contact support via [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com)

---

**You're ready to think with Dario. Let's go.** 🚀
