Day Zero and other preparedness resources: how they compare
Ready.gov, the Red Cross, Survivor Library, Kiwix, The Knowledge, ALLFED, AI incident trackers: what each does and where Day Zero fits.
Short answer
Day Zero is not the only preparedness resource, and it should not be your only one. This page says what else exists, so you can use the right tool.
Many good resources cover one piece (general emergencies, an offline library, rebuilding knowledge, food resilience, AI incident logs). When we last looked (October 2026), we did not find another site that puts a live AI risk monitor, a plain plan for an AI-related crisis and an offline download kit in one place. We could not search everything, so treat that as "we found none", not "none exists". Tell us if we missed one.
| Resource | What it is | How Day Zero differs |
|---|---|---|
| Ready.gov and the Red Cross | Official emergency preparedness for storms, fires, outages and more | They cover ordinary emergencies well. Day Zero is for an AI-related crisis and for rebuilding afterwards. Use them first. |
| Survivor Library | A large collection of pre-1920s practical books, free to download | A library, not a plan. We link it in the kit and put it in order. |
| Kiwix and Internet-in-a-Box | Software and a small device to read Wikipedia and other content offline | Tools we use and recommend. See the offline hub. |
| The Knowledge, Lewis Dartnell | A book on rebuilding civilisation after a cataclysm | A book, not a live site or a download kit. We recommend it (reading). |
| Long Now: Manual for Civilization | A curated library of books to sustain or rebuild civilisation | A physical collection and idea. Day Zero is a working plan with an offline kit. |
| Arctic World Archive and Arch Mission | Very long-term storage of human knowledge | They preserve data for centuries; they do not teach you what to do on day one. |
| ALLFED | Research on feeding people in global catastrophes | Research for governments and organisations. Our food guide is for households and groups. |
| MIT AI Incident Tracker and the AI Incident Database | Records of real AI incidents | Records, not response plans. Our monitor and record track incidents and link to this plan. |
| EA Forum: personal preparation for AI disasters | A thoughtful discussion on how much to prepare | A discussion; it argues for cheap, broad preparation, which is what Day Zero tries to turn into steps. |
What Day Zero adds
- A live monitor next to the plan: one place for "what is happening" and "what to do".
- A plain timeline: 72 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 6 months, one year.
- An offline kit refreshed from the newest releases, with a reading device plan (reader power).
- Honest limits and a rehearsal (drill).
What it does not add
Professional review (not yet, see how these guides are reviewed), local knowledge of your area, and any guarantee. Use your own judgement and local help.