Coupling standards with insurance creates market-driven safety incentives

Mike McCormick describes backing a company that pairs an AI safety standard—similar to SOC 2 but for AI—with an insurance policy available only to compliant firms. This dual product aims to create a race-to-the-top dynamic: enterprise customers demand certified vendors, aligning commercial incentives with safer AI deployment.

Mike McCormick·Published Sep 25, 2026

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Zero to One in AI Safety: Halcyon’s Mike McCormick on Launching 30 New Orgs and the Founder Bottleneck

Original excerpt

one is a standard. Think of it like a SOC two standard but for AI. And if you wanna meet this standard, you have to meet these 50 something check boxes that have to do with your safety practices and your security practices and etcetera. And then along with that standard comes an insurance policy, which you can only buy if you meet the standard.

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