<aside> 👋 Welcome! Below are all the topics and readings we’ll cover during the BAIST AI Policy program this spring. For each session, we aim to do ~1 hour of reading and ~1 hour of discussion in-person (though you’re welcome to do the optional readings beforehand). No work will be required outside of our weekly 2-hour meeting.

This program will introduce you to the field of AI policy with a focus on safety and catastrophic risk prevention. The goal of the program is to equip you with the knowledge to begin a career in AI safety.

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Session 0: Foundations

  1. But what is a neural network? (3Blue1Brown, 2017). Watch first 12.5 min, rest optional.
  2. **A short introduction to machine learning (Ngo, 2021). 11 min.**

Session 1: Introduction to Machine Learning

  1. Visualizing the deep learning revolution (Ngo, 2023). 15 min.
  2. 4 charts that show why AI progress is unlikely to slow down (Henshall, 2023). 8 min.

Optional readings:

  1. **How ChatGPT Works, Technically** (ByteByteGo, 2023). 8 min.
  2. **Gradient descent, how neural networks learn (3Blue1Brown, 2017). Video; 20 mins.**
  3. **The bitter lesson** (Stutton, 2019)

Session 2: Overview of risks from advanced AI systems

  1. **An overview of catastrophic AI risks (Hendrycks et al., 2023) 60 min.**

<aside> 🚨 FOR PARTICIPANTS ONLY Please fill out **this feedback form** at the end of the session

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