Researcher, Policy

Thinking Machines Lab•San Francisco, CA

10h•Onsite

About The Position

Thinking Machines is hiring a policy researcher to help determine what policies may be required as AI advances. The role will develop policy research around the company’s technical direction, including open-weight models, customization, and human-AI collaboration, and translate promising ideas into policy frameworks and experiments for internal technical teams and the broader industry. The researcher will work with the wider policy research ecosystem to examine the implications of the company’s vision for AI and research proposals that support its mission. The position suits someone able to think across technology, policy, economics, and safety, generate novel proposals, and work through questions with limited established literature or consensus. It is based in San Francisco, California.

Requirements

Experience conducting original research on AI governance, technology policy, economics, political economy, emerging technology, or another field relevant to AI’s societal impacts.
Ability to work with technical researchers and translate between technical details, societal impacts, and policy design.
A degree in history, politics, economics, international affairs, artificial intelligence, or a related discipline.
Clear communication skills, including the ability to explain complex governance topics to audiences with low context.
Comfort operating under uncertainty and developing views on questions with little established literature or consensus.

Nice To Haves

Authored independent publications, such as magazine articles or Substacks, that generated significant discourse in the AI governance community.
Deep technical understanding of AI that informs governance thinking.
Ability to run experiments with quantitative components, such as economic models.
Experience collaborating across academic, industry, and nonprofit policy communities.
Experience working on open-weights safety or policy.

Responsibilities

Develop the policy research agenda in collaboration with leadership and technical teams, focusing on open-weight models, customization, and human-AI collaboration.
Proactively develop the company’s views on policy topics, including long-term safety, societal impacts, and future legislation.
Analyze existing AI policy proposals and identify gaps the company is well positioned to address.
Produce internal and public-facing policy research that introduces new frameworks and provides a foundation for further work.
Build relationships with think tanks, policy organizations, and academic AI governance communities.
Design external research partnerships, including commissioned research, grants programs, or convenings.
Work with technical researchers to understand the implications of the company’s technical direction and translate between technical details, societal impacts, and policy design.