The Future of Life Institute’s (FLI) mission is to protect mankind from artificial intelligence, and it is recruiting research teams to do so. The Elon Musk-backed program announced it has chosen 37 research teams worldwide to investigate the possible advantages and disadvantages of AI.

The 37 teams will be awarded about US$7 million from Musk and the Open Philanthropy Project part of a grant program.

(Related: Even Stephen Hawking is wary of AI)

“This grant program was much needed because of its emphasis on safe AI and multidisciplinarity, it fills a gap in the overall scenario of international funding programs,” said Francesca Rossi, president of the International Joint Conference on AI and grant awardee, according to the FLI.

The teams will research questions in computer science, economics, law, policy and other areas that relate to AI. According to the FLI, the program will fund the research teams for up to three years, and then focus on the areas that show the most promise.