Description
What does it actually take to build a successful AI safety organization? I'm joined by Dr. Ryan Kidd, who has co-led MATS from a small pilot program to one of the field's premier talent pipelines. In this episode, he reveals the low-hanging fruit in AI safety field-building that most people are missing: the amplifier archetype. I pushed Ryan on some hard questions, from balancing funder priorities and research independence, to building a robust selection process for both mentors and participants. Whether you're considering a career pivot into AI safety or already working in the field, this conversation offers practical advice on how to actually make an impact. Chapters (00:00) - - Intro (08:16) - - Building MATS Post-FTX & Summer of Love (13:09) - - Balancing Funder Priorities and Research Independence (19:44) - - The MATS Selection Process (33:15) - - Talent Archetypes in AI Safety (50:22) - - Comparative Advantage and Career Capital in AI Safety (01:04:35) - - Building the AI Safety Ecosystem (01:15:28) - - What Makes a Great AI Safety Amplifier (01:21:44) - - Lightning Round Questions (01:30:30) - - Final Thoughts & Outro Links MATS Ryan's Writing LessWrong post - Talent needs of technical AI safety teams LessWrong post - AI safety undervalues founders LessWrong comment - Comment permalink with 2025 MATS program details LessWrong post - Talk: AI Safety Fieldbuilding at MATS LessWrong post - MATS Mentor Selection LessWrong post - Why I funded PIBBSS EA Forum post - How MATS addresses mass movement building concerns FTX Funding of AI Safety LessWrong blogpost - An Overview of the AI Safety Funding Situation Fortune article - Why Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX debacle is roiling A.I. research NY Times article - FTX probes $6.5M in payments to AI safety group amid clawback crusade Cointelegraph article - FTX probes $6.5M in payments to AI safety group amid clawback crusade FTX Future Fund article - Future Fund June 2022 Update (archive) Tracxn page - Anthropic Funding and Investors Training & Support Programs Catalyze Impact Seldon Lab SPAR BlueDot Impact YCombinator Pivotal Athena Astra Fellowship Horizon Fellowship BASE Fellowship LASR Labs Entrepeneur First Funding Organizations Coefficient Giving (previously Open Philanthropy) LTFF Longview Philanthropy Renaissance Philanthropy Coworking Spaces LISA Mox Lighthaven FAR Labs Constellation Collider NET Office BAISH Research Organizations & Startups Atla AI Apollo Research Timaeus RAND CAST CHAI Other Sources AXRP website - The AI X-risk Research Podcast LessWrong blogpost - Shard Theory: An Overview