Introducing a brand-new course

APPLY BELOW BEFORE JANUARY 5th

We are very excited to announce that we will be hosting the brand-new “AI Safety, Ethics, and Society,” course to Groningen students in the academic year of 2024-2025 (Block 2A)! After having successfully facilitated the AI Safety Fundamentals program over the past 2 years to 40+ BSc-PhD students, we will be moving on to this newly enhanced course by the Center of AI Safety.

Students who previously participated in our course are welcome to join this newly updated version, which offers a broader scope than the earlier AI Safety Fundamentals curriculum. This updated course goes beyond issues of control and misalignment to also address critical risks such as malicious use, accidents in AI development, and social AI dependence (enfeeblement). By tackling these topics, the course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of both the ethical and societal impacts of AI.

It will be organised with two distinct, tailored cohorts to address the different approaches within the field of AI Safety: Technical and Governance. Both courses are hosted on-site in Groningen and provide a pathway into the core topics of AI safety. The division into Technical and Governance cohorts allows us to better cater to different audiences, comprised largely of students with either a technical or a legal background. Although there is a split between cohorts, it is not a strict separation; students with a more technical background are welcome to join the governance cohort and vice-versa. Participants in the Governance cohort will still gain technical knowledge, and those in the Technical cohort will also engage with governance and policy issues. This structure only enables each cohort to explore in more depth topics aligned with their respective areas of interest. For example:

• The Technical Cohort focuses more on the technical aspects of AI Safety, with extra sessions on topics such as the unique properties of complex systems, mechanistic interpretability, adversarial attacks and more. 

• The Governance Cohort, meanwhile, prioritises the governance and policy aspects of AI Safety, dedicating additional time to case studies and real-world examples to illustrate regulatory, legal, and societal challenges.

While each cohort emphasises different aspects of AI safety, the workload remains consistent across both groups: approximately 2-4 hours of weekly readings and 2 hours of weekly learning discussions/interactive tutorials. These discussions are led by experienced facilitators with knowledge in their respective areas, offering students an opportunity to engage in critical, nuanced conversations and interactive learning experiences.

At the end of the course, participants will take part in a project that will allow them to apply the knowledge and skills they’ve developed. This project will be a chance to deepen their expertise, receive feedback from facilitators, and create something meaningful that reflects their learning journey. In addition to regular sessions, students will join a Q&A and networking event with AI safety experts for insights and connections in the field. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate recognising their achievement and expertise in AI safety.

To ensure high-quality discussions, we use a selective application process to welcome participants with diverse perspectives and strong commitment. 

Please note that the courses are independently led by AISIG and are not offered or affiliated with the University of Groningen.

APPLY BELOW BEFORE JANUARY 5th