Offering AI safety support calls for ML professionals
TLDR: If you’re a professor, PhD student, or industry researcher or engineer interested in starting AI safety research, please request a call with Arkose! We are currently focused on and most helpful to mid-career people with machine learning expertise, who are relatively new to the advanced AI safety space.
The following is largely a linkpost for arkose.org, with a FAQ in the comments.
Arkose is an early-stage, fieldbuilding nonprofit with the mission of improving the safety of advanced AI systems. We focus on supporting researchers, engineers, and other professionals interested in contributing to AI safety, primarily by hosting personalized calls and public-facing resources.
In our 30-45 minute calls, we offer personalized advice to fit your level of interest and situation, whether you’re an industry researcher or engineer, professor, or PhD student.
After discussing your specific needs and questions, we can:
Help you explore funding and job opportunities. Arkose keeps a list of grant opportunities, compute options, fellowships, and jobs: Resources is our public list.
Connect you to potential mentors and collaborators in industry or academia. Whether you’re seeking senior researchers, PhD students, or industry or sabbatical connections, Arkose can introduce you to our experts.
Recommend a list of safety-related papers in your research area, and a shortlist of advanced AI safety materials.
Provide as-needed support for 6 months. We can help you clarify emerging options, follow up with your plans, and advise you of new resources.
If you’re an ML or AI professional who’s interested in starting research in AI safety:
Request a CallAnd if you’d like to help review Arkose’s ML materials, please message or email me at vael@arkose.org!
FAQ
This is cool! Why haven’t I heard of this?
Arkose has been in soft-launch for a while, and we’ve been focused on email outreach more than public comms. But we’re increasingly public, and are in communication with other AI safety fieldbuilding organizations!
How big is the team?
3 people: Zach Thomas and Audra Zook are doing an excellent job in operations, and I’m the founder.
How do you pronounce “Arkose”? Where did the name come from?
I think whatever pronunciation is fine, and it’s the name of a rock. We have an SEO goal for arkose.org to surpass the rock’s Wikipedia page.
Where does your funding come from?
The Survival and Flourishing Fund.
Are you kind of like the 80,000 Hours 1-1 team?
Yes, in that we also do 1-1 support calls, and that there are many people for whom it’d make sense to do a call with both 80,000 Hours and Arkose! One key difference is that Arkose is aiming to specifically support mid-career people interested in getting more involved in technical AI safety.
I’m not a mid-career person, but I’d still be interested in a call with you. Should I request a call?
Regretfully no, since we’re currently focusing on professors, PhD students, or industry researcher or engineers who have AI / ML experience. This may expand in the future, but we’ll probably still be pretty focused on mid-career folks.
Is Arkose’s Resource page special in any way?
Generally, our resources are selected to be most helpful to professors, PhD students, and industry professionals, which is a different focus than most other resource lists. We also think arkose.org/papers is pretty cool: it’s a list of AI safety papers that you can filter by topic area. It’s still in development and we’ll be updating it over time (and if you’d like to help, please contact Vael!)
How can I help?
• If you know someone who might be a good fit for a call with Arkose, please pass along arkose.org to them! Or fill out our referral form.
• If you have machine learning expertise and would like to help us review our resources (for free or for pay), please contact vael@arkose.org.
Thanks everyone!