AI Whistleblowing Policy Lead (Washington, DC)

The AI Whistleblower Initiative • Washington, DC

5d • $130,000 - $190,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Most high-stakes moments in AI over the coming years will involve frontier company insiders having and raising concerns: within companies, to regulators, or through other pathways. Those insiders tell us they face enormous uncertainty along the “concern raising” path -- from detecting concerns to whether and how to voice concerns with maximum impact and minimal risk, which even legally protected whistleblowing can carry. To date, no organization has dedicated themselves deeply to delivering the best strategic, frontier-AI-specific guidance to these individuals, their supporters, and their attorneys (our partners). We exist to ensure that each insider disclosure is maximally impactful and safe for the person making the disclosure. Working closely and continuously with our partners in AI and whistleblowing policy, you will own AIWI's work to achieve this goal by closing two gaps: 1. Strengthening the laws that protect AI whistleblowers. 2. Improving the effectiveness and safety of the channels through which AI whistleblowers are, theoretically, protected to disclose. This work is focused on U.S. federal and state level.

Requirements

• Policy or advocacy experience in either AI or whistleblowing, and to be able to rapidly build understanding of the other.
• Strong understanding of how bills are passed.
• A network that will enable you to do your work well.
• Multiple years of relevant experience, or a strong record of high-agency work in AI governance.
• Driven and relentlessly resourceful. Decides what needs to happen and makes it happen, without waiting to be told. Gets around obstacles rather than stopping at them, and is never afraid of getting hands dirty on the operational work this involves.
• Learns fast. Can drop into an unfamiliar bill, regulatory process, or technical debate, ask sharp questions, and reach a working grasp within days. Energized by conversations with fellow researchers.
• Exhibits exceptionally strong judgment. Can arrive at a well-informed point of view on why particular elements of a whistleblowing policy matter, as well as where AIWI should spend its time to make change.
• Natural networker. Seeks people out rather than waiting to be introduced, and builds trust quickly — with a congressional staffer, an agency official, or an advocate who sees the world very differently. Comes across as smart, earnest, and worth listening to, and can build a network from a standing start -- doesn't need to arrive with a deep DC network.
• Strong communicator. Can turn a complex point into model policy language, a two-page briefing, or an op-ed, and pitch it as easily to an expert as to a staffer who needs the gist in five minutes.
• Energized rather than thrown by tight, unpredictable deadlines. Legislative timing is outside your control; when an opening appears, you move on it fast.
• Cares deeply about AI going well -- enough to work hard, through setbacks, to make good policy happen.
• Understands the weight of this role and displays unwavering integrity. Work will shape whether critical safety concerns can be raised and heard, and what it costs the people who raise them.
• Legislative staffer, policy counsel, or legislative aide in a congressional office or state legislature.
• Policy or government affairs staff at an AI governance, safety, or evaluations organization, with a strong record of high-agency work.
• Policy or advocacy staff at a whistleblower protection or accountability organization.
• Policy or regulatory person at a think-tank or advocacy organization working on emerging technology.
• Must be authorized to work in the US. Cannot sponsor visas.

Nice To Haves

• Backgrounds likely to be suitable may include: Legislative staffer, policy counsel, or legislative aide in a congressional office or state legislature
• Policy or government affairs staff at an AI governance, safety, or evaluations organization, with a strong record of high-agency work
• Policy or advocacy staff at a whistleblower protection or accountability organization
• Policy or regulatory person at a think-tank or advocacy organization working on emerging technology

Responsibilities

• Strengthen and inform the legislation and regulator-level whistleblowing channels that determine both the legal protections available to AI whistleblowers and the effectiveness of channels through which they can disclose.
• Prioritize and provide input on federal and state whistleblower bills, on AI bills with implications for whistleblowing, and advise agencies, congressional offices, or other reporting bodies as they set up their disclosure channels.
• Read a newly introduced AI bill and suggest edits to address phrasing that would make non-compliance impossible for an insider to surface.
• Draft model language for a whistleblower provision and get it into the hands of a staffer who asked for help.
• Write comments into a shared doc about why we should accept or reject a proposed amendment that might improve a bill’s chances.
• Rapidly assemble a coalition and write a letter on a specific bill, publish an oped or speak to a journalist on the relevance of a specific provision.
• Advise an agency setting up a new channel on intake, security, and triage by bringing together and collaborating closely with partners, contractors, fellows.
• Manage fellows writing on exploratory topics: For instance on how to design a whistleblowing office enforcing international pause agreements.
• Work with a lobbyist to map out the legislative process for the next six months and identify the core decision-makers you’ll need to inform.
• Inform US federal and state whistleblower legislation, and the whistleblowing provisions in adjacent AI bills -- through model policy, technical drafting support for congressional and state offices, policymaker briefings, and public education.
• Provide input on non-whistleblowing AI bills where the language determines whether non-compliance can be detected or disclosed by insiders.
• Build and orchestrate broad coalitions to strengthen (non-)AI whistleblowing law in key states.
• Develop thought leadership on gaps to be closed and feasibility of addressing those gaps.
• Work with our partners to support congressional, federal, and state bodies in building and improving their channels, including: Congressional Offices, emerging federal AI institutions, state AGs, and state agencies designated to receive disclosures.
• Build relationships with those disclosure channels to uncover opportunities for improvements and training/ support needs.
• Maintain a view of bodies’ channel quality -- useful to insiders, support organizations, and offices themselves.
• Build and maintain relationships with congressional offices, policy advocacy organizations, and the bodies operating disclosure channels.
• Keep track of the AI and whistleblower bills moving across state legislatures, and pick the few worth AIWI engaging with.
• Release publications and op-eds conducive to your policy efforts.
• Conduct exploratory research, especially in the context of using whistleblowing for verification of international agreements.
• Manage fellows early in your trajectory with us, with a path to managing team members as your function grows.

Benefits

• USD 130,000-190,000 commensurate with experience
• 100% of medical, dental, and vision premiums covered for employees, and 50% for spouses and dependents
• 401(k) with a 6% employer contribution, no match required
• 20 days PTO plus federal holidays, and the week between Christmas and New Year's
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development budget
• A home office or equipment stipend for hybrid staff
• Wellness budget

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed