#64 – Michael Aird on Strategies for Reducing AI Existential Risk

Michael Aird is a senior research manager at Rethink Priorities, where he co-leads the Artificial Intelligence Governance and Strategy team alongside Amanda El-Dakhakhni. Before that, he conducted nuclear risk research for Rethink Priorities and longtermist macrostrategy research for Convergence Analysis, the Center on Long-Term Risk, and the Future of Humanity Institute, which is where we know each other from. Before that, he was a teacher and a stand up comedian. He previously spoke to us about impact-driven research on Episode 52. In this episode, we talk about: The basic case for working on existential risk from AI How to begin figuring out what to do to reduce the risks Threat models for the risks of advanced AI 'Theories of victory' for how the world mitigates the risks 'Intermediate goals' in AI governance What useful (and less useful) research looks like for reducing AI x-risk Practical advice for usefully contributing to efforts to reduce existential risk from AI Resources for getting started and finding job openings Key links: Apply to be a Compute Governance Researcher or Research Assistant at Rethink Priorities (applications open until June 12, 2023) Rethink Priority's survey on intermediate goals in AI governance The Rethink Priorities newsletter The Rethink Priorities tab on the Effective Altruism Forum Some AI Governance Research Ideas compiled by Markus Anderljung & Alexis Carlier Strategic Perspectives on Long-term AI Governance by Matthijs Maas Michael's posts on the Effective Altruism Forum (under the username "MichaelA") The 80,000 Hours job board