NU AI Safety

An illustration of a street in Boston, shown six ways:

  1. Today: AI is a tool, and we choose when to use it.
  2. Automation: AI gets cheaper than people at job after job, so businesses switch.
  3. Gradual disempowerment: Each handoff to AI makes sense, until people no longer have a say.
  4. Concentration of power: Whoever controls the best AI could end up controlling everyone else.
  5. Cyber attacks: AI could find security holes faster than anyone can patch them.
  6. Biological risk: Help building a bioweapon could be one question away.

AI is becoming more capable faster than we can control it.

NU AI Safety is a student-led group at Northeastern. We prepare students to help make advanced AI safe, through research and through policy.

This is already happening

What we do

  • Fellowships

    An 8-week introduction to AI safety, on a technical or a policy track.

  • Guest talks

    Researchers in AI safety and interpretability, from Boston and beyond.

  • Research

    Support for members doing their own AI safety research.

Who this is for

AI safety needs more than AI researchers and software engineers. Many of its hardest problems are about policy, law, cybersecurity, biology and psychology.

We welcome undergraduate, master’s and PhD students from every program at Northeastern.

Events

  1. Kickoff

    Mon, Nov 2 · 6 to 7:30pm · Shillman Hall, Room 135

All events, and how to subscribe

Get involved

There are four ways to get involved. Anyone can join as a member today, and fellowships begin in January 2027.

  1. Member

    Join our Slack and come to our meetings and talks. Open to everyone, with no commitment.

    Join the Slack
  2. Technical Fellowship

    An eight-week program on how AI systems are built and how to make them safer.

    How the fellowships work
  3. Policy Fellowship

    An eight-week program on how AI should be governed. No technical background required.

    How the fellowships work
  4. Executive board

    Help lead the group. About 3–5 hours a week, and no prior experience required.

    What the board does

Open to undergraduate, master’s and PhD students in every program.

Fellowships

An eight-week introduction to AI safety, taught by people who work in the field. Most Northeastern students have no AI safety course available to them, so we created one. The first fellowships begin in January 2027.

Two tracks, one fellowship

Technical track

For students who want to make AI safer by working on the technology itself.

  • How modern AI systems are trained
  • Why aligning them is hard
  • Mechanistic interpretability: looking inside a model
  • Technical governance

Starts from the fundamentals.

Policy track

For students who want to shape how AI is governed.

  • The risks posed by advanced AI
  • How governments and companies are responding
  • What good standards, safeguards and laws could look like

No technical background required.

Both tracks lead to the same place: complete either one and you become a fellow.

How it works

  1. Sign up

    Join the mailing list and we will email you before the fellowships begin.

  2. 8 weekly sessions

    Small groups meet for 90 minutes each week. Each session is led by a graduate student, PhD student or invited researcher, and ends with a discussion.

  3. Become a fellow

    Complete all eight weeks to become a fellow, on either track.

  4. Get into research

    Fellows are invited to research meetings and mixers with AI safety researchers at Northeastern and across Boston. We also plan to work with Northeastern labs on projects that fellows can join.

Executive board

The executive board runs the group. This year we are looking for a few students to each lead one of the areas below.

  • Fellowships

    Organize the technical and policy fellowships.

  • Events

    Plan talks and socials.

  • Outreach

    Handle communications and bring in new members.

  • Partnerships

    Build connections with other AI safety groups and funders.

Time
About 3–5 hours a week, including one board meeting
Background
No prior experience required. Several roles are non-technical.
Co-op
Students on co-op are welcome to apply, and we will plan around your schedule.

FAQ

Who can join?

Any Northeastern student, at any level and in any program. We are registered as a Khoury graduate club so that graduate students can take part, but undergraduates are equally welcome, and most of our programs are designed with them in mind.

Do I need to know machine learning?

No. The policy track requires no technical background, and the technical track starts from the fundamentals. Several executive board roles are also non-technical.

What is the difference between the technical and policy tracks?

The technical track focuses on making AI systems safer by working on the technology itself: how models are trained, why aligning them is hard, and interpretability. The policy track focuses on how AI is governed: the risks, how governments and companies are responding, and what good standards and laws could look like. Completing either track makes you a fellow.

How much time does a fellowship take?

One 90-minute session per week, for eight weeks.

When do fellowships start?

In January 2027. Join the mailing list and we will email you before they begin.

What does a member do?

Members join our Slack and are welcome at all open meetings and talks. There is no time commitment.

How do I join the executive board?

Apply using the form in the executive board section above. The role takes about 3–5 hours a week, including one board meeting, and no prior experience is required. Students on co-op are welcome to apply.

I already work on AI safety. How can I get involved?

Join our Slack and tell us about your work. We would love to hear from you.

Is NU AI Safety a Northeastern club?

Yes, we are a Khoury College club. You can find us in Khoury’s clubs directory.

Still have a question? Ask us in the Slack or email aisafety@northeastern.edu.