It was founded in 2012 by Julia Galef, Anna Salamon, Michael Smith and Andrew Critch,[3] to improve participants' rationality using "a set of techniques from math and decision theory for forming your beliefs about the world as accurately as possible".

[1] CFAR's training draws upon fields such as psychology and behavioral economics in an effort to improve people's mental habits.

[5] CFAR has conducted a survey of participants which indicates that workshops reduce neuroticism and increase perceived efficacy.

[5] A scholarship funded by the founder of Skype, Jaan Tallinn, has been used to send selected Estonian students to workshops held by the Center for Applied Rationality.

[9] On November 15, 2019, four people dressed in Guy Fawkes masks were arrested for allegedly barricading off a wooded retreat where CFAR was holding an event.