What funding sources exist for technical AI safety research?
post by johnswentworth · 2019-10-01T15:30:08.149Z · LW · GW · 2 commentsThis is a question post.
Contents
Answers 35 habryka None 2 comments
What funding sources exist? Who are they aimed at - people within academia, independent researchers, early-career researchers, established researchers? What sort of research are they aimed at - MIRI-style deconfusion, ML-style approaches, more theoretical, less theoretical? What quirks do they have, what specific things do they target?
For purposes of this question, I am not interested in funding sources aimed at strategy/infrastructure/coordination/etc, only direct technical safety research.
Answers
Some opportunities that I know about:
- The Long Term Future Fund [EA · GW] is I think currently the most active granter in the space for independent researchers
- MIRI has in the past funded some independent researchers, and some programs that try to facilitate research (like funding to MIRIx workshops, or the AI Safety camp, or related projects)
- Jaan Tallinn has some budget set aside to fund people doing interesting research, I think partially administered via Alex Zhu. Happy to put anyone interested into contact.
- There exist a variety of small donors who I think are open to this. Matt Wage (also on the LTFF) is often open to things like this.
- The Open Philanthropy Project has (had?) a scholarship program, here are some examples of people they funded, I do not know whether there is any way to apply to it:
- https://www.openphilanthropy.org/focus/global-catastrophic-risks/scholarship-support-2019
- https://www.openphilanthropy.org/focus/global-catastrophic-risks/potential-risks-advanced-artificial-intelligence/ai-scholarships-2018
- The Open Philanthropy Project also has an AI Policy careers scholarship program:
- The EA Foundation has given grants for AI Alignment Research:
- Being a student at CHAI is one way of getting funding. They might also be open to more independent research arrangements, but not sure:
- The FHI research scholars program includes people who work on technical AI Alignment:
- BERI has historically done some grantmaking in this space, though that will likely now be done via the Survival and Flourishing Fund. For that, applications are open for 4 more days, though require some kind of existing institutional affiliation.
- I can imagine that Tyler Cowen's Emergent Ventures is open to funding things in this space
Will edit this if I come up with anything else, or if someone else points out something that I am missing.
Edit: New additions by Issa Rice:
- Paul Christiano has done some independent funding in this space (and maybe Open AI is also open to that, but I don't know)
- FLI has made grants, though I don't know about the current state of their grant program
- EA Grants also has given some grants in this space
↑ comment by riceissa · 2019-10-01T20:26:35.566Z · LW(p) · GW(p)
Potential additions: Paul Christiano, Future of Life Institute, EA Grants.
Replies from: habryka4↑ comment by habryka (habryka4) · 2019-10-01T23:54:03.047Z · LW(p) · GW(p)
Indeed, thanks! Added them to the list above
2 comments
Comments sorted by top scores.
comment by philip_b (crabman) · 2019-10-01T16:43:46.069Z · LW(p) · GW(p)
Are you interested in AI safety jobs, i.e. to be hired by a company and work in their office?
Replies from: johnswentworth↑ comment by johnswentworth · 2019-10-01T17:15:59.812Z · LW(p) · GW(p)
That is not the main focus of the question, but you're welcome to leave an answer with suggestions in that space. It is "funding", in some sense.