British AI startup Sensay will launch the world's first AI-governed island off the coast of the Philippines, complete with a digital cabinet featuring historical figures including Marcus Aurelius and Winston Churchill. Olivia Palamountain reports

From fantasy football leagues to dream dinner party guests, we've all imagined assembling the perfect team of historical figures and celebrities for a specific purpose. Now, London-based AI startup Sensay, has done just that.

The company, which specialises in the creation of ultra-lifelike AI replica humans, has gotten its hands on a tropical island in the Philippines for an AI-powered experiment that sees its council modelled on the greatest leaders in history.

Dubbed Sensay Island, it will operate under an AI-powered government comprising 17 historical figures brought to life through AI, with Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius serving as president and Churchill as prime minister. Other cabinet members include Nelson Mandela as justice minister, Eleanor Roosevelt as foreign affairs minister and Florence Nightingale as health minister.The AI replicas are designed to emulate the personality and decision-making patterns of their historical counterparts, with each trained on the literature, speeches and philosophies of the figures they represent. Members of the public can interact with the digital cabinet via the Sensay Island website.

According to founder Dan Thomson, the project aims to demonstrate how AI could be deployed in governance "free from political partisanship and bureaucratic delays." The initiative follows research published in the British Journal of Political Science showing that trust in parliaments has declined globally by an average of 78.4 percentage points since 1990.

Located in Western Palawan province in the Philippines, Sensay Island spans 3.4 square kilometres of sparkling beaches, lush rainforest and crystal-clear coral lagoons. The island enjoys a tropical climate with an average temperature of 26°C and gentle breezes year-round.

The company plans to allow people worldwide to register as "E-residents" of Sensay Island, enabling them to propose policies through an open-access platform. The AI cabinet will then publicly discuss these proposals before voting on final decisions, with all deliberations accessible to the public.

"Sensay Island is a bold and exciting venture that will challenge modern conceptions of governance and policymaking in an unprecedented way," says Thomson, whose company recently secured £2.5 million in pre-seed investment.

Fancy joining the experiment? Observer visas open mid-2026; research residencies and permanent citizenship will follow in stages. Register your interest here to begin your path to becoming a citizen of Sensay Island.

Applicants will need to fill our a form stating their profession and motivation for joining the community.

Sensay, which creates AI-powered digital replicas of people, claims its technology currently facilitates more than 600,000 interactions daily. The company recently made headlines for hiring what it described as the world's first AI employee as a full-stack developer.

The startup is also targeting tourism boards, inviting partnerships to create interactive experiences using its technology, allowing visitors to converse with AI replicas of local historical figures.

The complete AI cabinet includes figures ranging from ancient Chinese strategist Zhuge Liang to computer programming pioneer Ada Lovelace and environmentalist Wangari Maathai.