TheBridge profile: Dan Hendrycks

Name: Dan Hendrycks

Current city: San Francisco

Current job: Executive Director, Center for AI Safety (CAIS)

Past job: Academic Researcher

Q. How are you currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? Policymakers have demonstrated an appetite to learn about what AI is, understand its benefits and risks. Center for AI Safety (CAIS) exists to equip policymakers with the understanding and tools necessary to tackle those questions head-on through cutting-edge AI safety research and democratizing safety research through our compute cluster. We are making significant contributions along those lines, for example, CAIS serves as an advisor to the U.K. government as they gear up to host the first global AI Safety Summit. Academia, governments and industry agree that the promises of AI are vast. To extract the full potential of AI, safety research, standards development, and guardrails must keep pace with innovation. We are excited to work with policymakers to turn that vision into reality.

Q. Job advice in three words? Embrace learning mindset

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Innovating to solve for inclusive growth

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Harness technology to tackle society’s biggest challenges

Q. Can you describe a skill you have carried throughout your career that has always proved to be valuable? Continuous Learning: staying curious and committed to personal and professional growth, constantly acquiring new skills, knowledge, and mental models.

Q. What is the best job interview question you have ever been asked? What motivates you in your work?

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? I don't drink coffee.

Q. Favorite book you recommend? Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Q. Why are you part of TheBridge community? Or, why do you think it's important this community exists for tech, policy and political professionals? To make technology work for us and not against us, we need the community to come together and work hand-in-hand to ensure our work benefits the many and not just the few. TheBridge community provides a platform to make that happen and that’s why I am proud to be a part of it.

Q. Everyday is probably different, but are there certain skills you think are essential to your job? Technical Proficiency, Problem Solving, Creativity, Opportunity Identification

Q. Living person you admire? James Cameron

Q. Most underrated virtue in an employee? Conscientiousness

Q. Favorite app? ColdTurkey

Q. Best advice you’ve received? Stack more layers