The Summit on Existential Security
30 January to 1 February 2024
The Summit on Existential Security convenes established and emerging leaders, researchers, and funders working on reducing existential risk to help them address threats to humanity.
Goals
Idea & knowledge sharing
Attendees hear new ideas and updates from others working in relevant fields so they can prioritize and plan better.
Relationship building
Attendees get to know each other so that it's easier to access hiring and funding opportunities, ask for advice, and collaborate on important projects.
Approach
Select attendees
The summit is invite-only and will convene key leaders, researchers, and funders working on reducing existential risk.
Immersive setting
The summit will be hosted over two days at a dedicated venue in the Santa Cruz mountains, with all attendees staying onsite.
Focused formats
The summit will primarily consist of short talks, one-on-one and small-group conversations, and goal-driven workshops.
Topics & Attendees
Discussions will focus on addressing existential threats to humanity, with a strong focus on risks from advanced AI.
Topics discussed might include:
Threat models for AI risk
AI safety standards, including responsible scaling policies
Domestic AI policy, especially in the US and UK
International AI governance
The intersection of AI and biological risk
Information security for AI models
Technical alignment strategies
Attendees are free to discuss any topics relating to reducing existential risk—the above is only a rough indicator of some topics that might come up.
The summit will bring together approximately 200 key people working on reducing existential risk.
Attendees will include:
AI technical and governance researchers from independent research organizations, AI labs, and universities
Information security specialists
Policy and advocacy specialists in AI and biosecurity
Global priorities researchers
Leaders of capacity-building organizations and projects
Emerging talent in the above areas
Schedule
Subject to change
Tuesday, 30 January
4:00 PM: Arrival—transport will be provided from Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Francisco International Airport (depending on demand)
5:00 PM: Keynote address
5:30 PM: Networking reception
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:30 PM: Informal topic discussions or social time
Wednesday, 31 January
8:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Short talks & Q&As
11:00 AM: Break
11:30 AM: Short talks & Q&As
12:30 PM: Lunch
1:30 PM: Lunch-time fireside chat
2:00 PM: One-on-one and small group conversations
3:30 PM: Break
4:00 PM: Goal-oriented workshops
5:00 PM: Break
5:30 PM: One-on-one and small group conversations
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:30 PM: Informal topic discussions or social time
Thursday, 1 February
8:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Short talks & Q&As
11:00 AM: Break
11:30 AM: One-on-one and small group conversations
12:30 PM: Lunch
1:30 PM: Lunch-time fireside chat
2:00 PM: One-on-one and small group conversations
3:30 PM: Break
4:00 PM: Goal-oriented workshops
5:30 PM: Closing Session
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Optional departure—transport will be provided to Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Francisco International Airport (depending on demand)
8:30 PM: Social
Friday, 2 February (Optional)
8:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: One-on-one and small group conversations
11:30 AM: Early lunch
1:00 PM: Departure—transport will be provided to Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Francisco International Airport (depending on demand)
Accommodation & Transport
Transport to the venue will be provided from Berkeley and San Francisco. At the end of the summit, transport from the venue will be provided to Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Francisco International Airport (depending on demand).
We can only reimburse reasonable travel expenses beyond this (e.g., flights) in cases where it will make a substantial difference to an attendee’s ability to attend. If you’d like to request travel reimbursement, please email us at summit@existential-security.com.