Research Scientist, Mechanistic Interpretability, DeepMind

Google LLC; Regno Unito; In loco; GBP 120.000 - 180.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Google DeepMind in the United Kingdom is seeking a Research Scientist to advance mechanistic interpretability at the intersection of cognitive science and philosophy of mind. You will study cognitive processes in large language models, including Gemini and related architectures, to understand inner workings and safety-aligned behavior.

The role emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, rigorous experimentation, and clear communication of complex ideas to technical and non-technical audiences.

Competenze

• PhD or equivalent research experience in relevant fields.
• 3 years of empirical AI research experience.
• Experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch, JAX).
• Experience with large language models and their representations.
• Strong ability to communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences.
• Publications in interpretability/AI safety or ML.

Mansioni

• Define and lead a research agenda on mechanistic interpretability of Large Language Models, including self-conceptions, theory of mind and related cognitive aspects.
• Adapt and extend state-of-the-art mechanistic interpretability techniques to Gemini and other models.
• Design and execute experiments to identify internal vectors and mechanisms influencing model outputs, especially regarding self-conception and other models.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with alignment teams, bridging interpretability research with safety and capabilities initiatives.
• Publish and communicate findings through peer-reviewed papers, internal reports, and presentations to diverse audiences.

Descrizione del lavoro

Minimum qualifications:

• PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics or a related technical field, or equivalent research experience.
• 3 years of experience designing, executing, and analyzing empirical research in AI.
• Experience using machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX) to run experiments.
• Experience working with large language model architectures and their internal representations.
• Experience communicating scientific concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Publication record in mechanistic interpretability, AI safety, or machine learning in peer-reviewed venues.
  

Preferred qualifications:

• Postdoctoral or equivalent industry research experience in mechanistic interpretability.
  
• Experience or demonstrated interest working across the cognitive sciences, philosophy of mind, psychology, or neuroscience.
• Experience evaluating concepts of selfhood, metacognition, and theory of mind in artificial systems.
• Experience translating foundational research into organizational impact, benchmarks, or open-source tools.
• Participation in, or mentorship of, specialized AI safety and interpretability research programs.
• Track record of interdisciplinary collaboration, especially bridging technical machine learning with philosophical concepts.

About the job

At DeepMind, we've built a unique culture and work environment where long-term ambitious research can flourish. We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join our team and contribute to groundbreaking research at the intersection of mechanistic interpretability, cognitive science, and the philosophy of mind. You will investigate cognitive processes in large language models, helping us understand the inner workings of Gemini and other models and advancing the path toward safe, aligned Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

Artificial intelligence will be one of humanity’s most transformative inventions. At Google DeepMind, we are a pioneering AI lab with exceptional interdisciplinary teams focused on advancing AI development to solve complex global challenges and accelerate high-quality product innovation for billions of users. We use our technologies for widespread public benefit and scientific discovery, ensuring safety and ethics are always our highest priority.

We are pushing the boundaries across multiple domains. Our global teams offer diverse learning opportunities and varied career pathways for those driven to achieve exceptional results through collective effort.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead a novel research agenda focused on the mechanistic interpretability of Large Language Model (LLMs) including self-conceptions, theory of mind and social media platform-cognition.
• Adapt, and extend state-of-the-art mechanistic interpretability techniques from the broader research community, applying them directly to Gemini and other models.
• Design and execute experiments to identify internal vectors and mechanisms that influence a model's outputs, especially where they appear reflective or pertain to its conception of itself and of other models.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with technical alignment teams, bridging interpretability research with broader AI safety and capabilities initiatives.
• Publish and communicate research findings through peer-reviewed papers, internal technical reports, and presentations to academic and cross-disciplinary audiences.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.