Policy Fellowship
Every semester, CAIAC runs an 8-week introductory reading group on the foundational policy and governance issues posed by the development of advanced AI systems. The fellowship aims to introduce students interested in AI policy and governance to risks from advanced AI.
It will discuss questions such as:
- How much progress in AI should we expect over the next few years?
- What are the risks associated with the misuse and misalignment of advanced AI systems?
- How can regulators audit frontier AI systems for potentially dangerous capabilities?
- How could novel hardware mechanisms prevent malicious or irresponsible actors from creating powerful AI models?
The fellowship meets weekly in small groups. Food is provided, and no additional work is required beyond meetings.
See here for the curriculum (subject to change).
Applications for the Spring 2025 Policy & Governance Fellowship are open! Apply here.
Application Deadline: January 31.
For those interested in the technical side of AI safety, we recommend applying to our introductory technical fellowship. It is possible to participate in both programs.
We welcome applications from students with a range of previous experiences: previous work in AI or technology policy is helpful, but by no means required. In the past, fellows have had backgrounds in public policy, law, political science, as well as a variety of technical fields. This is not an exhaustive list, and we encourage those with other academic backgrounds to apply as well.
Past intro fellows have primarily been undergraduate, masters, and graduate students from Columbia. The fall and spring fellowships are strictly in person and on campus, so we can't accept non-Columbia affiliates due to campus security. The summer session is remote, so students from other universities and non-student professionals are welcome to apply.
We ask for your availability in the application, and will attempt to accommodate everyone's schedules when forming cohorts. Each cohort meets once a week for two hours, with dinner or lunch provided. We'll be meeting in various meeting rooms across Columbia's campus depending on availability.
If you've already read all the material in the curriculum, you may be interested in attending our research groups. Feel free to email us at cualignment@gmail.com to discuss other ways of getting involved with CAIAC!
The fellowship is facilitated by CAIAC members with academic and/or professional experience in AI policy and governance.