The AI Governance Fast Track is a talent development initiative based in the UK that aims to support outstanding students to launch a career shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
The Challenge
The sudden and unexpected rise of general-purpose AI (GPAI) has changed the landscape of technology policy and national security.
Policymakers now need to answer major questions such as:
How should we regulate the dual-use capabilities of GPAI?
Where will power concentrate as GPAI drives automation, and what should be done about it?
How dangerous is the global AI arms race, and how can the risks be managed?
The way that policymakers answer these questions in the near term could shape the trajectory of this critical technology for decades to come.
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AI governance is an interdisciplinary field developing the policies, norms, laws, and institutions that shape how increasingly powerful AI models are built and deployed.
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As defined in the EU AI Act, General-purpose AI (GPAI) refers to AI models that display significant generality and are capable of competently performing a wide range of distinct tasks. These models are trained on a large amount of data using self-supervision at scale.
Examples of GPAI models are OpenAI's GPT-4o and Meta's open-source Llama-3.
Frontier AI refers to the leading and most capable GPAI models. These are the newest models from top AI labs that are at the frontier of current capabilities.
The Opportunity
The AI Governance Fast Track is a talent development initiative based in the UK.
The aim of the programme is to help outstanding students launch a career shaping the future of AI. The 2025 cohort will have access to the following opportunities:
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Participants will be paired with an experienced player in the field. Mentors will ensure that the field of AI governance is in good hands by providing mentees with support such as:
Career advice
Feedback on research projects
Recommendations for resources and opportunities
Assistance with job applications
Introductions to contacts in the field
Our mentors come from relevant government agencies, top think tanks such as The Centre for the Governance of AI, RAND Corp and the Ada Lovelace Institute, and cutting-edge AI research labs such as Google Deepmind.
As part of the Mentorship Programme, you’ll be invited to professional networking events for the whole mentorship community, providing the opportunity to connect with a range of professionals and upcoming talent from a variety of disciplines.
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Build knowledge, skills and experience while working on key AI policy issues
The AI Policy Accelerator is a 3-week intensive which combines training and work experience to build strong foundations for a career in AI policy.
In the first week, participants complete AI for Policymakers, a 5-day crash course which will bring them up to speed on the technological breakthroughs and industry forces behind frontier AI.
Throughout weeks 2 and 3, teams of participants are assigned a policy question by people with experience as AI policy advisors in the UK Government. Throughout the project, students will be provided access to technical experts and policy professionals to help refine their knowledge and inform their research for the policy brief. Finally, each team will present their brief back to their policy advisor for feedback.
Programme Eligibility
The AI Governance Fast Track program welcomes applicants from diverse fields, including legal studies, international relations, economics, political science, cybersecurity, and computer science.
If you're an undergraduate, Master's, or PhD student studying in the UK and passionate about the intersection of technology and governance, we encourage you to apply.
Timeline & Structure
The programme will feature two rounds of assessments, and successful applicants will commence in January 2025. See below for specific detail:
Applications open
23rd October - 28th November 2024
Second round assessments
3rd December - 18th December 2024
Final application outcomes
22nd December 2024
Mentorship pairs announced
January 2025
Career Mentorship Programme
(Opening event)
Tuesday 25th February 2025
AI Policy Accelerator
7th April - 25th April 2025