The risks and opportunities of advanced AI are evolving at unprecedented speed—and so is the need for capable individuals to shape its trajectory. This 5 day course is for those who want to rapidly develop their understanding of transformative AI and its impact on humanity.

Through expert-facilitated discussions and carefully curated materials, you’ll explore the technical foundations of AI, examine potential futures, and debate key ideas alongside others passionate about ensuring AI benefits humanity. By the end of the week, you’ll have both the knowledge and network to take meaningful steps toward contributing to AI safety.

The Introduction to Transformative AI course will run from Dec 2-6, 2024. We’ll be accepting applications on a rolling basis and have 20 spots available. Apply by Thursday, Nov 28, to secure your place!

Why do the course

You’ll learn about the foundational arguments.  It is difficult to know where to start when trying to learn about AI safety for the first time. The programme will give you the structure and accountability you need to explore a wide variety of alignment research agendas, and give you a rich conceptual map of the field.

Your learning is facilitated by experts. Your facilitator will help you navigate the course content, develop your own views on each topic, and foster constructive debate between you and fellow participants.

You’ll be learning alongside others. Your cohort will be made up of people who are similarly new to AI safety, but who will bring a wealth of different expertise and perspectives to your discussions. Many participants form long-lasting and meaningful connections, that support them to take their first steps in the field.

You’ll be supported to take your next steps. This could involve doing pursuing an end-of-course project, applying for programmes and jobs, or doing further independent study. We maintain relationships with a large network of organisations and will share opportunities with you. Additionally, with your permission, we can help make connections between you and recruiters at top organisations.

You’ll join 2000+ course alumni. We’ve helped thousands of people learn via our AI Safety Fundamentals courses. You’ll gain access to this network, and to many others who join in future rounds of the course.

Who this course is for

We think this course will particularly be able to help you if:

• You thrive in an intensive learning environment. If you enjoy rapid, focused immersion and want to upskill in a short amount of time, this course is designed for you.
  
• You’re working in AI or an adjacent field and want to better understand the risks from future AI systems and how to mitigate them.
• You’re planning to transition into AI-related work and want to develop a solid foundation in understanding AI safety challenges.
• You’re concerned about AI’s trajectory and want to explore concrete ways to contribute to ensuring its positive impact

No technical background is required—we welcome participants from all fields who are committed to understanding and addressing risks from advanced AI systems. The course benefits from diverse perspectives and expertise.

Not sure if you’re the right fit? We encourage you to apply! We take a holistic approach to evaluating applications and value diverse perspectives and backgrounds.

What this course is not

This course might not be right for you if you are looking for:

• A broad overview of AI’s societal impact. While these are important topics, we specifically focus on identifying and addressing risks from increasingly capable AI systems.
• A course to teach you general programming, machine learning or AI skills. Our resources page lists a number of courses and textbooks that can help with this. Note that these skills are not hard prerequisites to taking our AI alignment course.
• A course for people with a technical background to learn about research agendas for aligning AI systems with intended goals. Our AI Alignment course is likely a much better match.
• A course for government policymakers and related stakeholders to learn about AI governance proposals. Our AI Governance course is likely a much better match.

Course Structure

This course runs for 5 consecutive days with curated readings and facilitated discussions. The time commitment for the week is around 15 hours, so you can engage with the course alongside full-time work or study.

Dates

December 2024 course

• Nov 28: Application deadline
• Nov 29: Final application decisions
• Dec 2-6: Intro to Transformative AI course

Application process

Apply through our online application form, and you should receive an email confirmation a few minutes after you send your application.

We’ll be accepting applications on a rolling basis and have 20 spots available. Apply by Thursday, Nov 28, to secure your place!

We will make application decisions by Friday, Nov 29. Do keep an eye on your emails during this time, as if accepted we’ll need you to confirm your place. All legitimate emails regarding the course will come from @bluedot.org.

If you have any questions about applying for the course, do contact us.

Application tips

We take a holistic approach to evaluating applications that consider a number of factors we think are important to getting the most from the course.

That said, some general tips can help ensure you’re putting your best foot forward:

• When talking about projects you’ve done, focus on your specific contributions to those projects, rather than explaining details about the project itself.
• If you include any links in your application, make sure the link is correct and can be accessed publicly. Opening the link in an Incognito or Private Browsing window is a good way to test this. It’s also often helpful to give us a summary of the highlights or takeaways we should get from what you’ve linked us to.
• Before you hit ‘Submit’, review your answers and double check they are answering the question asked. Additionally, make sure your contact information (especially your email address) is correct.

Requirements

• Availability 15 hours between Dec 2-6, 2024 to engage with the course
• A reliable internet connection and webcam (built-in is fine) to join video calls
• English language skills sufficient to constructively engage in live sessions

Earning a certificate

If you attend all five sessions and complete the required readings and exercises, you’ll earn a certificate of completion.

Optional payment

There is no mandatory payment for this course. If you would like to, you will have the option at the end of the course to pay an amount that you are comfortable with and that you feel reflects the value that the course has brought to you.

BlueDot Impact Ltd, the organisation that runs this course, is a non-profit based in the UK and is entirely philanthropically funded. This course costs us roughly £600 per participant to run, and any payment you make would be used to subsidise places for future participants on our courses.

Running independent versions of the course

The official course is run by BlueDot Impact – a non-profit that supports people to develop the knowledge, skills and connections they need to pursue a high-impact career.

Friends, workplace groups, student societies and other local organisations are welcome to run versions of our courses. Provided you follow our guidance, you can use the public curriculum and these session plans.

Any other questions?

If you’re not sure whether to apply, we recommend that you put in an application. If you have any other questions do contact us!

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