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Artificial Intelligences

I am frequently asked by high school and university students interested in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) what to study, work on, or do in general. In 2007, I created a comprehensive study guide aimed at preparing students to become great AGI research scientists. At the time, AGI was regarded as science fiction, and only "crazy" people talked about or dared to work on it. Recommending what to study was easy; there was essentially only my book [Hut05] on the mathematical foundations of AGI out there. In 2010, my first PhD student, Shane Legg, co-founded the first-ever AGI company, DeepMind, and most of my subsequent students, along with many others, found a home there. Suddenly, there were AGI engineering jobs for these "crazy" AGI people. With the formation of the second AGI lab, OpenAI, and Google's acquisition of DeepMind in 2015, the tech world slowly began to warm up to AGI. However, it was the launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022 that ignited worldwide enthusiasm for AGI, along with optimism and concern that AGI is possible, and possibly even soon. Since then, billions of dollars have been invested in AGI by leading technology companies and countless startups, which led to a proliferation of AGI-related jobs and roles (e.g., $600k/year for a prompt engineer). Even conservative academia has come to terms with AGI.

AGI Job Roles

The comprehensive study guide in its current form is still relevant if you are interested in a deep understanding of A(G)I and Deep/Machine Learning, and want to explore fundamentally novel ideas, i.e. become an AGI research scientist spending a significant amount of time reading, thinking, exploring new ideas, possibly proving theorems, with some amount of programming for prototyping and testing your ideas. For most other AGI roles that have sprouted, the linked guide is too math/theory-heavy, and is lacking in other respects, though the AI bible [RN20] should be compulsory reading for everyone. Below is a table of some AGI-job categories, followed by more details about the typical skills useful or required in each role, together with focus and responsibilities. Given the rapid developments since 2023, the list may become outdated rather quickly. The table provides an overview of the broader ecosystem of AGI research, development, deployment, and governance, highlighting their complementary contributions to advancing the field, reflecting the complexity and far-reaching implications of AGI. The roles cover research (AGI Research Scientist, AGI Research Engineer, AGI Safety Researcher), technical (AGI Software Engineer, AGI Systems Architect, AGI Data Scientist), ethical (e.g., AGI Ethics and Philosophy Researcher), operational (AGI Simulation and Testing Specialist, AGI Product Manager), and societal (AI Governance Expert, AI & Society & Fairness & Equity Expert, AGI Education and Outreach Specialist, AGI Legal and Regulatory Expert) aspects. Each role contributes to some aspects of AGI, Deep Learning (DL), or more broadly Machine Learning (ML), advancing AGI systems not only on a technical level, but ensuring also that they are safe, ethical, and beneficial for society. Many of these roles are of course interconnected and have significant overlap, and likely some are missing.

Role Primary Focus Key Skills Key Responsibilities
AGI Research Scientist Fundamental research Algorithm design, deep learning, machine learning, statistical analysis, research methodology Develops new algorithms and theories for AGI, DL, and ML, advancing scientific understanding.
AGI Research Engineer Implementation and optimization Programming (Python, C++), prototyping, optimization techniques, debugging, version control Builds and tests research prototypes, bridging theory and practical application.
AGI Software Engineer Production-ready systems Software engineering, system architecture, ML model deployment, scalability, DevOps Deploys ML models in scalable, reliable systems, ensuring practical usability.
AGI Safety Researcher Safety and alignment Risk assessment, alignment theory, safety protocols, ethical analysis, interdisciplinary collaboration Ensures AGI systems are safe, controllable, and aligned with human values, mitigating risks.
A(G)I Governance Expert Policy and regulation Policy analysis, regulatory frameworks, legal research, stakeholder engagement, ethics Creates frameworks for responsible AI development, addressing legal and ethical challenges.
AI & Society & Fairness & Equity Expert Fairness, equity, and societal impact Bias mitigation, fairness metrics, social impact analysis, interdisciplinary research, ethics Ensures AI systems promote fairness and positive societal outcomes, mitigating bias and inequality.
AGI Systems Architect System design and integration System architecture, modular design, scalability, integration testing, technical documentation Designs scalable, modular architectures for AGI systems, ensuring cohesive functionality.
AGI Ethics and Philosophy Researcher Ethical and philosophical implications Ethical analysis, philosophical reasoning, critical thinking, interdisciplinary research, communication Explores ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions, ensuring AGI aligns with human values.
AGI Simulation and Testing Specialist Testing and validation Simulation design, benchmarking, testing frameworks, validation techniques, performance analysis Develops simulation environments and benchmarks to evaluate AGI performance, robustness, and safety.
AGI Data Scientist Data curation and analysis Data curation, statistical analysis, data ethics, data quality assessment, ML preprocessing Curates and analyzes data for AGI training, addressing quality, diversity, and ethical concerns.
AGI Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Specialist Human-AGI interaction and usability UI/UX design, usability testing, accessibility standards, human-centered design, communication Designs intuitive interfaces for human-AGI collaboration, ensuring accessibility and transparency.
AGI Security Specialist Security and protection Cybersecurity, threat modeling, encryption, secure coding, risk mitigation Protects AGI systems from attacks and misuse, ensuring integrity and reliability.
AGI Education and Outreach Specialist Public education and awareness Public speaking, educational content creation, stakeholder engagement, communication, ethics Educates stakeholders about AGI, promoting informed discourse on its implications and potential.
AGI Product Manager Product development and deployment Product management, technical feasibility analysis, user research, project management, ethics Oversees AGI-based products, balancing technical feasibility, user needs, and ethical standards.
AGI Legal and Regulatory Expert Legal and regulatory compliance Legal research, regulatory compliance, IP law, liability analysis, policy advocacy Navigates legal challenges for AGI, addressing liability, IP, and compliance with regulations.

AGI Research Scientist


AGI Research Engineer


AGI Software Engineer


AGI Safety Researcher


A(G)I Governance Expert


AI & Society & Fairness & Equity Expert


AGI Systems Architect


AGI Ethics and Philosophy Researcher


AGI Simulation and Testing Specialist


AGI Data Scientist


AGI Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Specialist


AGI Security Specialist


AGI Education and Outreach Specialist


AGI Product Manager


 © 2000 by ... [previous] [home] [search] [science] [calculators] [personal] [contact] [up] [next] ... Marcus Hutter