Mentorship is one of the most frequently requested services that AI Safety Quest sees when conducting Navigation calls. I hope this service can help bridge the gap between "I want to do something about AI safety" and "I'm working on a meaningful AIS project". Many thanks to you both for making this happen.
2Tldr: If you are working on AI Safety and are willing to help someone to start their career in AI Safety by sharing your experience at 1:1 meetings consider applying as a mentor
In the last year, we’ve seen a surge of interest in AI safety. Many young professionals and aspiring researchers are attempting or seriously considering a career shift into this and related fields. We’ve seen a corresponding rise in months-long technical bootcamps and research programs, but mentorship has failed to keep pace with this rise. This is a staggering gap, and we intend to fill it - starting now.
Enter the Mentorship in AGI Safety (MAGIS) program, a joint initiative between AI Safety Quest and Sci.STEPS.
The pilot program will recruit mentors from the community and pair them with mentees according to self-reported background and professional goals, including technical experience, career advice, and soft skills. Mentors will meet with mentees 6 times over 3 months to provide guidance tailored to their specific needs - whether technical expertise, non-technical skills, or career development advice. The program will also provide shared networking and collaboration resources on Discord, and 2+ joint webinar activities for all mentees. According to feedback from the participants of the first season of Sci.STEPS, a mentor program like this one is an immense help to early career researchers.
MAGIS opens with a call for mentors. If you are currently doing research in AI Safety or working in any related area (outreach, technical governance, machine learning, etc.), consider applying! By default, we ask that you commit to at least 6 one-hour mentorship meetings over the 3-month program, though you and your mentee(s) might work out a different schedule. At present, this is a volunteer effort; the only reward we can offer is the chance to help someone make an impact at a pivotal moment in their career.
The overall plan for the pilot program in 2024:
Sci.STEPS is a mentorship program for undergraduates, graduates, and young scientists building their careers in academia and beyond. We successfully conducted two seasons in 2023 and 2024 with a total of 100+ participants, 20+ online events, guest experts and coaching sessions.
AI Safety Quest is a volunteer organization that hosts career navigation calls, open discussions in AI Safety, and training cohorts that follow the AI Safety Fundamentals curriculum published by BlueDot Impact. We have successfully operated for over a year.