AI Risk for Computer Scientists

Workshop Details

We’re running a series of four-day workshops out of the Center for Applied Rationality’s house in Bodega Bay. The goal of the workshops is to provide a gathering place for discussion and to introduce some thinking tools for people interested in reasoning about AI risk.

The material at the workshop is a mixture of human rationality content that’s loosely similar to some CFAR material, and a variety of topics related to AI risk, including thinking about forecasting, different people’s ideas of where the technical problems are, and various potential paths for research.

The participants at these workshops are drawn largely from communities whose thinking styles strike us as well-suited to these problems, such as the functional programming community. The workshops are staffed mostly by people from MIRI and CFAR.

A typical day: You’ll enjoy a solid breakfast plus catered lunch and dinner surrounding a morning and afternoon full of talks, classes, discussions and walks together. Breaks are frequent and offer a chance to continue in engaging discussions, or get away for a moment of enjoying the sun or a quick nap. Evenings often involve games, a night hike, or more lively discussions on wildly diverse topics.

Price: $0. We cover all the costs: the program itself, on-site lodging (see below for venue details), and all travel costs from wherever in the world you live.

If you’re technically adept and enthusiastic about spending time thinking about AI risk with some other really sharp people, please apply below so we can chat with you about your interests and availability.

Workshop Calendar

As of 2023, we aren’t currently actively planning any AIRCS workshops, though we may run additional AIRCS events in the future. Our most recent workshops were in late 2019 and early 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Venue

The workshops are hosted in a former bed-and-breakfast in Bodega Bay, California, with views of the countryside, and the Pacific Ocean is a half-hour walk away.

Accommodation: While most participants enjoy the default shared sleeping setup, if you have specific sleeping needs or preferences, we can usually accommodate them just fine. Towels and linens are provided.

Food: We provide a diverse, healthy and delicious set of meals, accommodating any dietary restrictions you have.

Getting there: We’ll fly you to the Bay Area and help you reach our office in Berkeley, where we’ll travel together for the 2-hour drive to Bodega Bay.

If you’re excited by the thought of attending, or you want to talk to us and shoot more questions our way, send us an application.