About the AI Safety Institute

The AI Safety Institute (AISI), launched at the 2023 Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit, is the world's first state-backed organization dedicated to advancing AI safety for the public interest. Our mission is to assess and mitigate risks from frontier AI systems, including cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, AI-enhanced chemical and biological threats, large-scale societal disruptions, and potential loss of control over increasingly powerful AI. In just one year, we've assembled one of the largest and most respected model evaluation teams, featuring renowned scientists and senior researchers from leading AI labs such as Anthropic, DeepMind, and OpenAI.

At AISI, we're building the premier institution for impacting both technical AI safety and AI governance. We conduct cutting-edge research, develop novel evaluation tools, and provide crucial insights to governments, companies, and international partners. By joining us, you'll collaborate with the brightest minds in the field, directly shape global AI policies, and tackle complex challenges at the forefront of technology and ethics. Whether you're a researcher, engineer, or policy expert, at AISI, you're not just advancing your career – you're positioned to have significant impact in the age of artificial intelligence.

Role Description

The AI Safety Institute research unit is looking for exceptionally motivated and talented Research Scientists and Research Engineers to work in the Societal impacts team.

Societal Impacts

Societal Impacts is a multidisciplinary team that studies how advanced AI models can impact people and society. Core research topics include the use of AI for assisting with criminal activities, undermining trust in information, jeopardising psychological wellbeing, or for malicious social engineering. We are interested in both immediate and medium-term risks.

In this role, you’ll join a strongly collaborative technical research team lead and the Societal Impacts Research Director, Professor Christopher Summerfield. You will receive mentorship, training, and opportunities for development. You'll also regularly interact with our highly talented and experienced staff across the Institute (including alumni from Anthropic, DeepMind, OpenAI and ML professors from Oxford and Cambridge), as well as with other partners across government. In addition to Junior roles, Senior, Staff and Principal RE positions are available for candidates with the required seniority and experience.

Person Specification

Successful candidates will work with other researchers to design and run studies that answer important questions about the effect AI will have on society. For example, can AI effectively change people's political and social views? Research Scientists/Engineers have scope to use a range of research methodologies and drive the strategy of the team.

This is a multidisciplinary team and we look for people with a diversity of backgrounds. We are especially excited about candidates with experience of research in one or more of these areas:

Computational social science
Machine learning (research engineer / research scientist)
Data Science, especially including Natural language Processing
Advanced statistical modelling and experimental design.

Required Skills and Experience

We select based on skills and experience regarding the following areas:

Writing production quality code
Writing code efficiently, especially using Python
Demonstrable interest in the societal impacts of AI
Experimental design
Demonstrable experience running research experiments involving AI models and/ or human participants
Strong quantitative skills
Data analytics
Data science methods
Frontier model architecture knowledge
Frontier model training knowledge
Model evaluations knowledge
AI safety research knowledge
Research problem selection
Research science
Verbal communication
Teamwork
Interpersonal skills

Desired Skills and Experience

Written communication

Published work related to cognitive, social or political social science.
A specialisation in a particular field of social or political science, economics, cognitive science, criminology, security studies, AI safety, or another relevant field.
Front-end software engineering skills to build UI for studies with human participants.

Salary & Benefits

We are hiring individuals at all ranges of seniority and experience within the research unit, and this advert allows you to apply for any of the roles within this range. We will discuss and calibrate with you as part of the process. The full range of salaries available is as follows:

L3: £65,000 - £75,000
L4: £85,000 - £95,000
L5: £105,000 - £115,000
L6: £125,000 - £135,000
L7: £145,000

There are a range of pension options available which can be found through the Civil Service website.

Selection Process

In accordance with the Civil Service Commission rules, the following list contains all selection criteria for the interview process.

Additional Information

Internal Fraud Database

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented. For more information please see - Internal Fraud Register.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and get baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) clearance before they can be appointed. Additionally, there is a strong preference for eligibility for counter-terrorist check (CTC) clearance. Some roles may require higher levels of clearance, and we will state this by exception in the job advertisement. See our vetting charter here.

Nationality requirements

We may be able to offer roles to applicant from any nationality or background. As such we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet the standard nationality requirements (opens in a new window).

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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Research Scientist/Research Engineer - Societal Impacts