At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.
We are a global team of over 800 changemakers, operating in more than 40 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.
In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.
The Senior Policy Advisor for AI Policy & Governance is a new role in the Science & Technology (S&T) policy team within the TBI's Policy and Politics division in London. The S&T policy team develops actionable solutions for how governments can foster R&D and innovation, accelerate technology adoption, and govern emerging technologies. In doing so, we help political leaders across the world harness the power of technology in effective and responsible ways.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to usher in a new era of economic growth and human flourishing. However, technological innovation alone is not enough to reach this end. Realising AI’s potential will also require political leadership and good governance. It also requires targeted efforts to ensure that AI systems are ethical, legal and safe, build public trust in technology, and harmonize AI governance norms and standards across jurisdictions.
The Senior Policy Advisor will lead the Institute’s efforts to become a credible and influential voice in AI policy debates. This includes advancing our thinking about how AI can be used responsibly to improve the lives and livelihoods – both in the developed and the developing world. The role involves developing and advocating for robust yet practical solutions to promote AI safety and ethics, putting effective frontier-AI governance on top of political leaders’ agenda. Key responsibilities will include (1) developing and vetting AI policy proposals in enough detail that they can be debated and implemented by policymakers; (2) creating pathways to effective, multilateral AI governance to improve coordination among key state actors; (3) briefing TBI leadership and client governments on key technical breakthroughs and emerging AI regulations.
The work of this role will be crucial to our credibility and success and will help shape the Institute's policy agenda. TBI aims to be recognized as a trusted advisor on AI policy and governance by political leaders and their teams. Achieving this goal requires the continuous production of high-quality policy work, as well as close collaboration with key technology providers, leading research institutions, and relevant civil society organizations. The ideal candidate will possess both in-depth expertise in AI policy and governance and first-hand experience in monitoring and shaping technology and regulatory developments.
Senior Policy Advisors are the most senior grade in TBI below director level, and suit individuals with significant experience in their field who are able to work with a high degree of autonomy. This role reports to the Director of Science & Technology Policy.
Please note that you must have an existing right to work in the United Kingdom to apply for this role.
Key Responsibilities
The holder of this position will:
Lead a research programme to develop and advocate for robust and effective AI policy solutions for harnessing the power of emerging technologies while managing the risks
Produce high-quality published work and private briefing materials on AI policy for different audiences, including political leaders, thought leaders and the general public
Create pathways to effective, multilateral AI governance to improve collaboration and coordination between key state actors, with a specific focus on frontier-AI safety
Provide direct advice to senior leaders in TBI – as well as to our advisory teams and client governments across the world – on AI policy, safety and regulation
Communicate actively via different channels to put AI policy on top of political leaders’ agenda, championing progressive and responsible proposals for robust AI governance
Host roundtables and advocate for the Institute’s point of view in external meetings, growing our reputation and influence in the field of AI policy and governance
Lead TBI’s engagements on high-level international AI summits and help shape emerging AI policies in different jurisdictions, including the UK, the EU, Africa, Asia and the Middle East
Monitor technological, regulatory and societal trends to identify the most pressing AI policy issues political leaders will face in the coming 1-5 years
Translate cutting-edge academic research and technological breakthroughs into actionable policy work on how to responsibly navigate the AI regulation at speed
Expand TBI’s network and build broad coalitions for change, including with leading AI labs and AI policy researchers as well as like-mined policymakers and civil society orgs
Manage a range of research and policy projects at once. In time, you may line manage one or two members of the Science & Technology Policy team
Contribute to the growth and development of a high-performing culture and provide a continuous focus on leading, development and employee well-being
Person Specification
The ideal candidate will be a forward-looking innovative thinker, who is keen to apply their deep, multidisciplinary skillset to develop radical but practical policy solutions. Given the wide remit of the role, the candidate should be adept at delivering high-quality work independently, getting up to speed quickly on new issues and be keen to explore new AI policy areas on the global stage. We are especially interested in candidates that are both technically gifted and able to think big.
The successful candidate will:
Have a sustained and extensive track record of producing cutting-edge work in AI policy and governance within government, business, academia or a policy organization
Have a deep familiarity with contemporary AI policy and governance issues, especially recent developments in frontier-AI research, capabilities and governance
Have a strong academic track record in a relevant field, like computer science, technology policy, or AI ethics, safety and governance (MSc or equivalent is required; PhD is meriting)
Have first-hand experience of working with political leaders or their teams to develop actionable solutions and drive real-world change
Have an extensive and deep network of global contacts through industry, academia and policy making relevant to the field of AI policy and governance
Have an in-depth understanding of AI opportunities and use cases as well as the ethical, social, legal and environmental governance challenges highly-capable AI systems pose
Have excellent teamwork skills to work successfully within a complex organization and a policy area that spans a diverse set of high-level stakeholders from different communities
Have a track record of project management; be strategic, entrepreneurial, and challenge the status-quo to develop plans for successfully delivering ambitious objectives
Have a strong ability to communicate complex AI policy issues, including to the TBI senior team, political leaders, partners from industry and academia, and the media
The following attributes are desirable:
Experience of working closely with political leaders, with demonstrable impact
Experience of developing or deploying AI systems within tech companies and AI labs
Experience of conducting and publishing highly-impactful academic work on AI policy
Experience of working in different geographical and cultural contexts
Closing Date:
2024-12-06
