AI Safety Seeding Initiative
There’s no AI safety group at Notre Dame We can help you change that.
We help students start AI safety groups at universities that don’t have one. Apply for a free initial advising call with an experienced organizer. We review applications before matching you with an advisor.
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What you get
An advisor to help you get started.
We offer free advising to help students figure out whether and how to start an AI safety group at their university. Apply to tell us about yourself and your interest in AI safety; we’ll review your application and follow up. You don’t need a plan to apply. Advising starts with one call; any further support is at your advisor’s discretion.
Understand what running a group involves
Talk through the time, costs, and day-to-day work of organizing, so you can decide what fits your interests and your semester.
Find useful resources and people
An advisor can guide you to readings, curricula, and other resources, and connect you with organizers and people who develop them.
Work through your questions
Get help planning events and programs, reaching students, and developing your group’s marketing and branding.
Apply for free advising
Enter your email and we’ll send you the application. Tell us about yourself and your interest in AI safety; you don’t need a finished plan or previous organizing experience. If a group at your university is inactive or you still need advising, tell us in the application. For a Google Drive video, set General access to Anyone with the link, with the Viewer role.
AISSI is independently run and funded by Kairos; Pathfinder is one external program that university-group organizers can explore.
Why organize
Why start an AI safety group?
University groups are one of the most common routes into AI safety work. Some begin as reading groups and grow into communities that help students build skills and move into the field.
Our bet is that there are capable founders at universities without a group who just haven’t considered starting one, or don’t know what support is available. We help them get started.
More on the case for organizing: AI safety university groups and AISSI’s original write-up.
From other student groups
“In the final year of my master’s, I discovered AI safety through a local student group, …”
“HAIST is a wonderful community, and also a great resource for finding upskilling and research opportunities.”
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an AI safety group?
A student group focused on understanding and reducing catastrophic risks from advanced AI. That might mean a reading group studying AI alignment, a cohort taking the AI Safety Fundamentals course, technical projects on interpretability or evaluations, or discussions of AI governance and policy aimed at reducing those risks. A general AI club or AI ethics group is not necessarily an AI safety group; the focus on catastrophic risk is what matters.
Do I need a machine learning background?
No. You can organize a group without a machine learning background. An advisor can help you choose resources, curricula, and activities that fit your interests and experience, whether technical or nontechnical.
My school already has an EA club. Should I still start one?
It depends on whether the existing club already runs AI safety activities. You could organize a reading group or program within that club, or start a separate group if there is a gap. An advisor can help you decide what makes sense for your campus.
What does the Seeding Initiative actually give me?
Our advisors can help you understand the time, costs, and work of running a group, find resources and relevant people, and answer questions about events, programs, marketing, and branding. Apply for free advising; we’ll review your application and follow up. You don’t need a plan to apply. Advising starts with one call; any further support is at your advisor’s discretion.
How much time does this take?
It depends on the program and the point in the school year when you start. A small reading group can be a few hours a week; registering a new club or launching a larger program can take more during setup. We can help you think through a scope that fits your semester rather than assuming one fixed timeline.