AI & National Security Lead

Job Duties:

• Analyze and raise awareness on how AI interacts with US national security concerns, particularly nuclear and biological technologies, and how to mitigate risks from AI.
• Monitor, analyze, and respond to developments in AI and emerging technology policy.
• Develop informational materials and conduct educational briefings to explain complex AI policy issues and technical developments in AI and other emerging technologies to policymakers, industry, academics, think-tank staff and the media.
• Appear on panel discussions, give presentations, and brief members of the media and government.
• Identify high-impact opportunities to drive meaningful policy change including convening roundtables, summits, and other public and private events.
• Craft policies and executive orders that maximize the benefits of emerging technologies while minimizing their risks.
• Support grantmaking efforts by researching grant proposals, deciding which proposals to fund, and executing grant projects to further FLI objectives of mitigating risks from AI and emerging technologies. 

Candidate Requirements:

• Master's degree in National Security Studies, Public Policy, or International Affairs.
• 1 year of professional experience researching existential risks from AI, biological, and/or nuclear technologies.
• 1 year of experience engaging with key policy stakeholders on AI safety issues, such as federal lawmakers and agency officials.
• 1 year of experience in public speaking and/or media engagement.
• Publication of at least one scholarly article on emerging technology risks.

Location: Remote work permissible but must be within regular commuting distance to Washington, DC. 

Start Date: We'd like the chosen candidate to start as soon as possible after accepting an offer.

Eligibility: We are not able to sponsor visas for this role.

Application Process: Apply by uploading the following:

• your resume

• Why are you interested in working at FLI in particular? (200 words max)

FLI aims to be an inclusive organization. We proactively seek job applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. If you are passionate about FLI’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role even though you may not check all the boxes, please still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Questions may be directed to jobsadmin@futureoflife.org.

About the Future of Life Institute

Founded in 2014, FLI is an independent non-profit working to steer transformative technology towards benefiting life and away from extreme large-scale risks. Our work includes grantmaking, educational outreach, and policy engagement.

Our work has been featured in The Washington Post, Politico, Vox, Forbes, The Guardian, the BBC, and Wired.

Some of our achievements include:

• Superintelligence Statement, an open letter calling for a prohibition on the development of superintelligent AI until there is strong public buy-in and scientific consensus that it can be developed safely and controllably. The letter has been signed by more than 130,000 people, including Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, Steve Wozniak, Richard Branson, Steve Bannon, Prince Harry and Susan Rice.

• The Asilomar AI Principles, one of the earliest and most influential sets of AI governance principles.

• The Pro-Human AI Declaration, a document with five guidelines on how AI development must be centred on humanity first, created during a meeting of bipartisan civil society groups spanning faith, labor, and think tanks.

• Testimony to the US Senate AI Insight Forum on Innovation, and the first civil society presentation to the US House of Representatives Taskforce on AI, encouraging policies that mitigate catastrophic risks from AI.

• Participation in the US AI Safety Institute Consortium.

• AI Safety Index - an objective rating of AI companies on key safety and security domains, as judged by experts in the field.