I'm an 18 year old student about to head to university. I'm currently very torn between going into biotech (my original career plan) and going into AI alignment. Biotech as a career path appeals to me since I already have certain achievements in the field of biology and am relatively confident that I can do well in the future. However, I'm also rather convinced that transformative AI is on the horizon and that solving the alignment problem is currently humanity's biggest task. I care about having a big, positive impact on the world through my work.
I was chosen to become an Atlas Fellow last month and am about to attend the July session, where I hope to speak to some of the people more familiar with the AI alignment field in order to make up my mind. Will I decide to become an AI alignment researcher after attending the program?
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@uzpg yeah my decision will not be binding as stated in a previous comment. I guess the better way of phrasing my question would be "would I be more inclined to become an alignment researcher after attending Atlas". There's a chance I will change my mind in the future but this won't impact my market resolution.
Biotech can be used in a very high-impact way from a longtermism perspective, for example in developing resilient food sources for near-existential risks (I recommend checking out Allfed, if you don't know them: https://allfed.info/about).
@Logaems Ofc AI risks are most pressing, but this is more neglected, so if you can contribute exceptionally well in this area, it could end up being more impactful on the margin (+ more satisfying probably).
@Nikola I will resolve the market the day after the program ends, with maybe an extra day delay to allow me to settle down and make an informed decision.