London, England, United Kingdom
I worry deeply that we will be unable to control something smarter than ourselves, and this is the problem I've dedicated my career to. Previously a diplomat in Baghdad, I now advise governments, parliaments, and international bodies on rules for increasingly powerful AI systems. As Global Director of Policy at the Future of Life Institute, I lead four teams covering US policy, European regulation, multilateral engagement, and military AI. Together we work to govern AI before it outpaces our institutions. A few things I have been involved in recently: - The Singapore International Scientific Exchange, bringing together the leading American and Chinese AI companies, as well as the world's leading AI scientists. - The New Orleans convening that led to the Pro-Human Declaration, setting out a vision for AI supported by a coalition of all political persuasions. - The AI Summit Series in New Delhi, and Paris, Seoul and Bletchley Park before that. Before AI policy, I was a Dutch diplomat posted to Iraq and a policy advisor to the Dutch government. I studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford and International Relations at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington, D.C. 📩 Subscribe to my newsletter for a weekly Situation Report on AI policy 💡 Follow my profile for regular takes on AI governance and geopolitics
• Lead global policy efforts for the Future of Life Institute (FLI), advocating for safe innovation with clear AI safeguards • Manage four subteams working on US Policy, European Policy, Multilateral Engagement and Military AI. • Provide recommendations to the Board on grant funding.
• Led FLI's advocacy and policy efforts with the EU institutions in Brussels and in European capitals.
• Responsible for Dutch development programming in Iraq with a focus on water, agriculture and entrepreneurship. • Set up an incubator for start-ups together with Iraqi activists through the Orange Corners program.
• Acted as a liaison between the Dutch embassy in Beirut and the Ministry in the Hague. • Assessed project proposals, responded to project management queries and evaluated project results for Dutch centrally-funded programs in Syria and Lebanon.
• Prepared the visits of Ministers Kamp (Economic Affairs) and Koenders (Foreign Affairs) to the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Fulbright grant sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Netherland-America Foundation
• Researched the validity of political risk forecasts in a study aimed at improving geopolitical predictions