The Futurekind AI Fellowship is a 12-week learning & professional development journey created by AI safety education org Electric Sheep. It introduces you to the rapidly developing intersection of AI & animal welfare– & arms you with future-proof knowledge & project mentorship to accelerate your career. Here's what's on offer:
The learning blockof the fellowship (weeks 1-6) introduces participants to current & emerging AI applications with significant implications for animals, such as in optimising factory farming or decoding animal communication. Learners are introduced to powerful AI tools for animal advocacy, &, in the last session, explore impactful career pathways at the AI/animals frontier.
In the project block of the fellowship (weeks 7-12), participants transition from learners to doers. Over the course of this project sprint, participants prepare a final work drawing on what they have learned during the course: a concrete contribution to animal welfare & protection. To support their research, collaboration, & project development, participants will have access to ChatNGO, a powerful AI platform tailored for nonprofits, generously provided by Stray Dog Institute. On top of this, participants will also receive tailored mentorship from leading professionals across academia, industry, & other sectors who will guide your project development & career building.
Session format
Sessions consist in weekly facilitated discussions (1.5-2 hours).
Readings & pre-session exercises will take 2-3 hours per week.
Apart from this, there will also be optional workshops, webinars, & Q&As with senior researchers & practitioners from key career fields.
No technical knowledge is needed to participate. If you're unsure about your fit, we encourage you to apply anyway! We welcome participants from a variety of backgrounds.
Program
Week 1. What AI Means for Animals: The Present & Near Future
BLUF:
* To determine whether AI is ‘improving exponentially’, ‘hitting the wall’, or any other claim which involves a quantity or magnitude (e.g. ‘This model was a big leap/small increment’). We need a good y-axis: an interval scale of AI capability which means +1 unit always represents the same degree of ‘how much better’, in the same way +1 degree Celsius is always the same amount of ‘how much hotter’.
* Yet there is no good y-axis for AI capability. All our...
Public service announcement
1. Applications are now open for our first ever round of the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program dedicated exclusively to animal welfare. Learn more about what’s different this round here and apply...
Summary
* The animal welfare movement has already seen an influx in funding and should prepare for the possibility of more.
* The EA Animal Welfare Fund is encouraging those working in animal advocacy to actively set aside time and resources now to concretely plan for scaling sustainably, and we’ll support you in doing that.
* We’re requesting advocates set concrete ambitious goals and submit plans t...
