Directions & intuitions for a career in AI safety
You’ve heard about the alarming incidents with AI agents and want to do something to prevent AI from going wrong, but you’re unsure about where and how to start.
Yet motivation is not the only attribute necessary to contribute to AI safety. Impact also depends on choosing a direction that fits you, building the skills the field needs, and being able to get unusual things done. On Thursday 15 October, from 18:30 to 20:00, AI Safety Barcelona is running a session to help you work out what that looks like for you.
What will be covered
The session will feature an initial 30-minute talk by Tzu Kit Chan that will address:
How people get started in AI safety across its different areas
How to work backwards from impact to where you are right now
The skills that matter for AI safety and how to build them — and show them
Common traps when transitioning into the field, and how to avoid them
But nobody can tell you what's best for you. The talk gives you a map, and the rest of the time is for you to figure out your own route, with people who are working through the same questions. The talk will be followed by 30 minutes of Q&A with Tzu, and 30 minutes of reflection and discussion about what draws you to this work, what holds you back, and where you might fit.
Speaker profile
Tzu Kit Chan is the Chief of Staff at Atlas Computing and an AGI preparedness advisor to decision-makers around the world. To date, he has done 5+ years of operations work and ran his first funded nonprofit in 2020. He's been actively involved for 4+ years in the AGI preparedness community, having done operations for MATS, ran Stanford AI Alignment, cofounded Caltech AI Alignment, seeded/mentored/stood up Yale AI Alignment, Berkeley’s AI Safety, and 50+ national and top universities' AI Safety groups across the world.
Who should attend?
This session is particularly designed for people with an interest in transitioning to AI safety work but uncertain about where to start and how to do so. This can include professionals, early-career people and students. It’s best if you have already done some reading or watching on AI safety, but haven’t yet engaged deeply through programmes or roles. This session can also be useful for people a bit more advanced in their AI safety career and already actively transitioning to AI safety who want a space to reflect, plan, and reevaluate their options.