The UK’s AI Security Institute is an organisation close to my heart. Back in 2023 I was involved in its conception and creation. It’s gone on to do incredible things. A genuinely world leading org that shatters the myth that government can’t do things. So I couldn’t be more delighted to say that I’ve been appointed as AISI’s next Director, working alongside the brilliant @NateBurnikell as its new Chief Strategy Officer. AISI is the world’s most respected organisation for understanding the risks from powerful AI. That is thanks to their superb team of dedicated civil servants and technical researchers. Special thanks to Adam Beaumont who has done a great job as AISI’s interim Director for the last 9 months. He returns to GCHQ having seen AISI go from strength to strength under his watch. I’m hugely grateful for that and excited to work with and learn from him. Last year I wrote about AISI and why its form and function is so important. You can read that piece on the link below - it gives a good flavour of why I’m excited to be joining. I’m looking forward to getting started in September.

Sam Altman: “we are now in the singularity—this is the moment. Ten years ago this was like a kind of far-off dream at best. It seemed very improbable. And now we’re actually in the moment that we used to talk about at the lunch table in a very not-serious way. And so the thing that drives me is I’ve been waiting for this my whole life, and I think it’s going to be incredible, hugely positive, awesome for the world. I’m excited to get to work on that. I also think some of the alternative visions painted by other companies are quite terrifying. I’m going to make sure that gets pushed against and is not what happens. But the main thing of what’s different than 10 years ago is that we’re actually in it. This is the real thing. I think it is both true that it is all one crazy exponential and any one moment is not like the tipping point, and also that we are somehow in another one of those decisive periods where the curve can go one way or another, like it was when we started 10 years ago.”