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AI Safety Operations & Theatre Sound Design

Artificial Intelligence

Last updated: November 1, 2025

I think AI is probably the most important thing of our time. AI developments are going very fast, and we are not prepared for how this will affect our society and culture. To quote Stephen Fry, when Benz first demonstrated a gasoline-powered carriage, ‘not one single person would declaim — “Yes! I foresee interstate highways three or four lanes wide crisscrossing the nations, I foresee flyovers, bypasses, Grand Prix motor racing, traffic lights, roundabouts, parking structures ten, twenty storeys high, traffic wardens, whole towns and cities entirely shaped by these contrivances.” No one would have seen a thousandth part of such a future.’.

I recommend starting with Stephen Fry’s post that the quote is from. It is a great accessible and non-technical introduction to the topic.

Doing Something - The TL; DR

  1. Understand the problem and the risks by reading the resources on this page.
  2. Subscribe to newsletters and podcasts lower on this page to stay connected and informed.
  3. Find a local community, or join the global community by attending conferences such as EA Global.
  4. Figure out how you can contribute: Will you take action alongside your current commitments, or change your career? Read the sections below for resources for both paths.
  5. Speak to an advisor to get feedback on your plan and support in executing it. I recommend 80,000 hours and AI Safety Quest, or email me at navigation@mickzijdel.com.

Understanding AI Risk

To learn more about the problem of AI safety, I recommend starting with the following articles:

Books

  • Human Compatible by Stuart Russell - A leading AI researcher’s perspective on building beneficial AI
  • The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian - Accessible overview of AI safety challenges
  • Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom - Classic text on potential risks from advanced AI
  • Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark - Explores how AI might reshape life and society
  • If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares - Direct arguments for risks of extinction due to superintelligence

Deeper Dives

Scenarios

Other Reading Tips

Ways To Take Action

  1. Contact your representatives and ask them to support AI regulation.
  2. Talk to your friends and acquaintances about AI Safety, and how they can help.
  3. Donate to AI Safety causes
  4. See if your skills can be applied to AI Safety, and change career if you think it’s a good fit.
  5. Join MicroCommit for a few weekly less-than-5-minute tasks to help AI Safety and spread awareness.

Build Skills

Focus on projects over courses. Building something concrete teaches you more than studying alone, and is a much stronger signal to hiring managers and funders.

Stay Connected

Community

Newsletters

Podcasts

Career Paths

Check out 80,000 hours’ page on AGI careers for more information on the different areas.

Possible Areas

Career Transition Resources

Mid-career people transitioning into AI Safety usually have valuable skills, but lack the AI Safety context and a network. These resources will help you get this.

Programs for Career Changers

  • SuccessIf - Personalized career advising for experienced professionals transitioning to AI safety
  • High Impact Professionals - For experienced professionals seeking high-impact roles
  • CEA Career Pivot Bootcamp - Free 4-day online bootcamp to identify high-impact career paths, apply to opportunities, and build your network

Additional Resources