UAE Representative

Future of Life Organizations; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 367,000 - 515,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading non-profit organization is seeking a UAE Representative to analyze and enhance the UAE's role in international AI governance. The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in a relevant field, eligibility to work in the UAE, and fluency in English and Arabic. Responsibilities include developing stakeholder engagement strategies and presenting recommendations to the UAE government. The position offers a competitive salary between $100,000 and $140,000 annually on a 12-month consulting contract.

Qualifications

• A graduate degree in international relations, security studies, policy, or a technical field related to emerging technologies.
• Eligibility to work in the UAE as a consultant with the required permit, specifically in Abu Dhabi.
• Fluent in English and Arabic, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Analyze the UAE's strategic position on international governance.
• Identify pathways to advance international cooperation on AI safety.
• Develop recommendations for engaging with relevant stakeholders.
• Present recommendations to UAE government representatives.
• Build awareness about AI safety among stakeholders.
• Contribute to understanding geopolitical dynamics affecting global AI governance.

Skills

Diplomatic skills

Cultural sensitivity

Autonomy

Proactivity

Excellent communication skills

Understanding of AI risks

Education

Graduate degree in international relations or related field

Eligibility to work in the UAE

Job description

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is hiring a UAE Representative. The UAE is a major power and its stance on global governance is set to shape the future governance framework related to advanced AI. The UAE Representative will work with the Multilateral Engagement Lead.

This role will investigate the role that the UAE plays in international governance and will also share these recommendations with representatives of the UAE government.

FLI educates and engages lawmakers, key stakeholders, and the general public about transformative technologies and their implications. In doing so, it advises and advocates on the necessary steps to avoid catastrophic risks while bringing about positive futures for all.

As the UAE Representative, you will:

• Analyze the UAE's strategic position as a potential bridge between major AI powers, particularly the US and China, regarding multilateral governance frameworks for advanced AI and AGI.
• Identify pathways through which the UAE could advance international cooperation on AI safety.
• Develop specific recommendations for engaging with relevant stakeholders, particularly the national security establishment, which has significant influence over AI risk and safety decisions.
• Present these recommendations to appropriate representatives within the UAE government.
• Build awareness among key stakeholders about the fundamentals of AI safety, focusing on how it aligns with UAE's national security interests.
• Contribute to FLI's understanding of how geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East could affect global AI governance.

Required Qualifications:

• A graduate degree in international relations, security studies, policy, or a technical field related to emerging technologies.
• Eligibility to work in the UAE as a consultant with the required permit, specifically in Abu Dhabi.
• Fluent in English and Arabic, written and spoken.

Skills and qualities required:

• Strong personal commitment to improving governance of emerging technologies to reduce catastrophic and existential global risks.
• Excellent diplomatic skills and cultural sensitivity.
• Strong autonomy, proactivity, and work ethic with ability to work independently on solo projects over extended periods.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with ability to present complex information to non-expert audiences persuasively.
• A thoughtful perspective on the risks associated with the development of artificial general intelligence.

Preferred qualifications, skills and qualities:

• Understanding of the technical capabilities and limitations of AI systems.
• Prior experience working within the UAE government or with high-level officials in the region.
• Several years of experience in advocacy, diplomacy, or government relations.
• Knowledge of the UAE's political structure.

$100,000 - $140,000 a year

Exact compensation will vary depending on experience and geography. This position will be hired on a 12-month consulting contract.

Application Deadline:

This position is being hired for on a rolling basis.

Start Date:

We'd like the chosen candidate to start as soon as possible after accepting an offer.

Application Process:

Apply by uploading your resume, alongside a short answer to the following question:

In 350 words or less, analyze how the UAE could leverage its unique position to facilitate agreement between the US and China on a multilateral governance framework for advanced AI systems, considering both national security and commercial interests.

Please apply via our website. Email applications are not accepted.

FLI aims to be an inclusive organization. We proactively seek job applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. If you are passionate about FLI's mission and believe you have the qualities needed to succeed in this role, please don't hesitate to apply even if you don't meet all requirements. When recruiting, we optimize for talent, values, and potential rather than experience.

Questions may be directed to [e-mail].

About the Future of Life Institute

Founded in 2014, FLI is an independent non-profit working to steer transformative technology towards benefitting life and away from extreme large-scale risks. Our work includes grantmaking, educational outreach, and policy engagement.

Our work has been featured widely, including in The Washington Post, Politico, Vox, Forbes, The Guardian, the BBC, The Economist and Wired.

Achievements

• Pause Giant AI Experiments, an open letter calling for a 6 month pause on the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4, signed by more than 30,000 people, including Yoshua Bengio, Stuart Russell, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, Yuval Noah Harari, and Andrew Yang.
• Asilomar AI Principles, one of the earliest and most influential sets of AI governance principles.
• How would a nuclear war between Russia and the US affect you personally?, a scientifically accurate simulation showing the consequences of nuclear war, with over 6 million views and a feature in Time Magazine.
• AI Safety Index, an objective rating of AI companies on key safety and security domains, as judged by experts in the field.
• Superintelligence Imagined Creative Contest, from 180+ submissions, we selected 6 winning artworks that best illustrate the risks of advanced artificial intelligence.

FLI is a largely virtual organization, with a team of >25 distributed internationally, mostly in Europe and the US. We have four offices: Campbell in California, Brussels in Belgium, London in the UK, and Washington DC. We meet in person as a full team twice a year.