Alignment Research Engineer Accelerator

London, UK

https://www.arena.education/

established9 peopleFounded 2022

ARENA (Alignment Research Engineer Accelerator) is a selective in-person programme that provides ML engineers with the skills, community, and confidence to contribute directly to technical AI safety. Founded in 2022 by Callum McDougall, ARENA runs 2-3 cohorts per year at the London Initiative for Safe AI (LISA) in Shoreditch, covering deep learning, transformers and interpretability, reinforcement learning, and model evaluations. Participants also gain access to a broader AI safety community and leave with hands-on project experience. ARENA also maintains a freely available online curriculum used by other programmes worldwide.

Funding Details

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Fiscal Sponsor: London Initiative for Safe AI (LISA)

Theory of Change

ARENA believes that a primary bottleneck to AI safety progress is the shortage of ML engineers with the technical depth and safety orientation needed to do high-quality alignment research. By running intensive bootcamps that combine structured technical training with hands-on project work and immersion in the AI safety research community, ARENA aims to rapidly move talented engineers into productive safety roles at leading organisations. Each cohort graduate who joins a safety-focused team or starts independent research represents a direct addition to the field's capacity. The free online curriculum multiplies this effect by enabling self-study and spin-off programmes worldwide.