Tech CEO establishes micronation governed by artificial intelligence in the Philippines

In 2025, Dan Thompson, CEO of the AI company Sensay, purchased an island in the Palawan province of the Philippines. He declared the location a micronation under the same name and implemented a governing board comprised of AI bots. These bots are programmed to mirror historical figures, including Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, Marcus Aurelius, Nelson Mandela, Sun Tzu, Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Hamilton, and Mahatma Gandhi. While thousands of individuals have registered as citizens, the micronation currently lacks international legal recognition as a sovereign state. According to project communications consultant Emily Keough, the island is currently inhabited only by a maintenance worker named Mike. Thompson acknowledged that the project's ability to function as a government remains unproven but maintains that potential security risks, such as the system acquiring weaponry, are highly unlikely. The project serves primarily as an experimental social and technological initiative rather than a formal political entity.