Key facts
- AI safety roles have seen a 91% increase on LinkedIn in the past year.
- Sampura Research lists salaries for experienced team leaders between $273,000 and $395,000.
- Meta reportedly offered $100 million in signing bonuses to top AI experts.
- Technical staff at Anthropic can earn over $1 million annually.
- Kairos has trained 27 individuals for career transitions into AI safety, with a dozen already placed in roles.
The AI safety field is experiencing a significant talent shortage, with demand for experts outstripping supply. Researchers are leaving top AI companies like Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic, citing concerns about the pace of AI development and insufficient investment in safety measures. Rishub Jain, a former Google DeepMind safety researcher, left to cofound Sampura Research, seeking greater autonomy to focus on AI alignment issues he felt were deprioritized by his former employer. He noted that while companies invest in safety, more substantial investment is needed. The issue has gained mainstream attention due to high-profile departures and warnings about AI's potential existential risks. Open roles in AI safety have surged, and organizations like 80,000 Hours and Kairos are working to train and recruit individuals for these positions, emphasizing that expertise beyond core AI research is valuable.