We'll be looking for both math aptitude and math knowledge, but there are no formal prereqs. The program will be structured to enable folks with very different initial levels of background skill, CFAR experience, Sequences experience, etc. to teach each other, to separate into different sections when appropriate, and to all be part of a single effort while also all having each of their skill-levels pushed. We expect a diverse group, with different folks initially skilled / new to different components of the work. It should be a lot of fun.
Indeed. The program is a last-minute idea, and we considered waiting until next year for this reason; but it seemed better to get started. And, contrary to my initial fears, interest and applications seem good, so far.
The overton window has shifted on AI risk; this program would not have been planable a year ago. I feel a bad for the folks who are finding out about this late, and who would've wanted to come and now have to decide between breaking existing plans and waiting for a future year (if we run these future years); but it still seems good we're doing it now.
I think it's partly not doing enough far-advance planning, but also partly just a greater-than-usual willingness to Try Things that seem like good ideas even if the timeline is a bit rushed. That's how the original minicamp happened, which ended up going so well that it inspired us to develop and launch CFAR.
I know, but something seems not-quite-right about this. If you had all the same events at the same times, but thought of them earlier and so had longer to plan them, you'd be strictly better off. I can think of two constraints that can make rushed timelines like this make sense:
If you're happy that you're already pushing these constraints as far as it makes sense to, then I'll stop moaning :)
First, because the high-math community seems to contain many who are interested now (and have applied), who it would've been harder to interest before. Second, because running such a program for MIRI is more compatible with CFAR's branding, and CFAR's ability to appeal to a wide audience, now than before.
CFAR will be running a three week summer program this July for MIRI, designed to increase participants' ability to do technical research into the superintelligence alignment problem.
The intent of the program is to boost participants as far as possible in four skills:
The program will be offered free to invited participants, and partial or full scholarships for travel expenses will be offered to those with exceptional financial need.
If you're interested (or possibly-interested), sign up for an admissions interview ASAP at this link (takes 2 minutes): http://rationality.org/miri-summer-fellows-2015/
Also, please forward this post, or the page itself, to anyone you think should come; the skills and talent that humanity brings to bear on the superintelligence alignment problem may determine our skill at navigating it, and sharing this opportunity with good potential contributors may be a high-leverage way to increase that talent.