Self-directed projects rarely work for breaking into AI safety, adviser says
austinc3301 · x · 2026-10-04
Replying to sophiekimai's discussion on AI safety career paths, austinc3301 says people should be highly agentic rather than relying only on fellowships, but high-quality self-directed research is very hard before you're high-context. He has advised many who tried upskilling via self-directed projects; it works only rarely, and mainly for highly conscientious people with good support networks and pre-existing taste from elsewhere.
Related event: Debate over AI Safety Career Paths: Self-Study Rarely Pays Off(2 posts)→
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