Work With Us

We seek to fill the following positions:

If none of these positions are the right fit for you but you would still like to express an interest in working with us, please fill out this form.

General enquiries about jobs at CHAI can be sent to chai-info@berkeley.edu.

The CHAI Research Fellowship

Start Date: Flexible
Compensation: Negotiated
Apply: Via this form

CHAI Research Fellows will work with CHAI faculty members Stuart Russell, Pieter Abbeel, and Anca Dragan and will also have the opportunity to collaborate with CHAI affiliate faculty at Berkeley, other faculty members in Berkeley AI Research (where CHAI is located), and many other institutions. The Fellowship is aimed at training highly qualified postdoctoral researchers to carry out research to advance beneficial AI.

Duties of position

Given the broad and open-ended mandate of the Center to develop provably beneficial AI systems, the post holder will have considerable freedom to pursue novel research projects in areas such as reasoning, decision making, learning, multi-agent systems, and philosophical foundations using the tools of probability theory, game theory, control theory, etc. Topics of particular current interest include

  • Theoretical foundations of intelligent agent architecture
  • Expressive formal languages for probability models, including probabilistic programming
  • Decision making over long time scales
  • Cumulative lifelong learning
  • Human-in-the-loop planning and reinforcement learning
  • Human-robot interaction
  • The structure and properties of human preferences
  • Foundations for acting on behalf of multiple humans
  • Robust cooperation in heterogeneous multiagent systems
  • Mechanism design for human-machine systems

Depending on their interests, Fellows may also lead research collaborations with other CHAI researchers and Berkeley PhD students, advise more junior student researchers, and teach courses relevant to their research. Candidates for the Fellowship are assessed based on their academic and research achievements, as well as on personal merit and leadership qualities.

Qualifications

Candidates must have (or be about to obtain) a PhD in a relevant technical discipline (computer science, statistics, mathematics, or theoretical economics) and a record of high-quality published research. A solid understanding of current methods in AI and statistical learning would be an advantage. Candidates need not have done previous work on the AI control problem.

Salary & Visa Sponsorship

The CHAI Research Fellowships provide funding for two years, renewable up to three years given satisfactory performance. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and based on UC Berkeley salary scales. The position is eligible for visa sponsorship. CHAI will also contribute to visa costs for Fellows and their dependents (partner and children).

Application

Apply via this form. Supporting documents include a resume, a one-page statement of interest describing in general terms the kind of research you would like to undertake at CHAI, and the names and email addresses of two academic referees.

Research Collaborators

Our core research spans computer science, mathematics, control theory, robotics, statistics, formal logic, economics (including game theory), cognitive psychology, or neuroscience. We may also be interested in moral philosophy, sociology, political science, law, and other fields dealing with formal and semiformal theories of human value systems.

If you are interested in collaborating on research that aligns with our mission, please fill out this form.

NOTE: Undergraduates interested in graduate study at Berkeley in this area should apply directly to the appropriate UC Berkeley graduate program. You may mention your interest in CHAI on your application, but we are unable to review or give feedback on your application. We will be happy to discuss research and/or supervision once you have been admitted.

CHAI Internship

The application is currently closed and will reopen Fall 2025.

This internship is designed for individuals who are interested in research in human-compatible AI. Our internships require a background in machine learning, computer science, mathematics, or related fields. Existing research experience in machine learning is strongly advantageous but not required. We are interested in people who can demonstrate technical excellence and wish to transition to research in human-compatible AI. Examples include undergraduate or Master’s students in computer science or adjacent fields, PhD students/researchers, professional software or ML engineers, etc.

CHAI interns work on a research project supervised, and typically proposed, by a mentor. Most projects are primarily executed by the intern, while the mentor provides advice and guidance; these are typically published as first-author workshop papers. On occasion, a mentor may propose a more team-based project that they or other interns are also executing on; these are typically published as conference papers. In addition, interns are encouraged to participate in other activities in CHAI, such as our weekly seminars, annual workshop and team socials.

All applicants should aim to understand CHAI’s research interests before applying. See our mentor profile page for a list of mentors and their interests.

General Information

  • Location: In-person (at UC Berkeley) is preferred but remote is possible.
  • Start Date: Flexible. We typically begin internships in May 2025.
  • Duration: Internships are typically 12 to 16 weeks
  • Compensation: $5,000 per month for in-person interns. $3,500 per month for remote interns.
  • International Applicants: We accept international applicants

Internship Application Process Overview

The internship application process has four phases. Please note: while we will do our best to adhere to these dates, they are subject to change.

  • Initial Review (Phase 1)
    • We will examine your application based on motivation, research potential, grades, experience, programming ability, and other criteria.
    • We will begin reviewing applications after the application closes.
    • Applicants will receive a response by mid October.
  • Programming or Math Assessment (Phase 2)
    • You will be given a programming or math test.
    • Applicants will receive a response by early November.
  • Interview Rounds (Phase 3)
    • We typically conduct two rounds of interviews which will occur between early November to early December.
    • We have several mentors who are willing to take on interns. Each mentor that is interested in working with you will contact you to schedule an interview. It’s possible that you will speak to multiple mentors.
  • Offer (Phase 4)
    • Applicants will likely receive offers by mid December.
    • If you are given an offer by one mentor, then you will work with that mentor if you choose to take the internship.
    • If you are given multiple offers from different mentors, then you will get to choose which mentor you want to work with.
    • Typically, the internship will begin around May 2025 but the start date will ultimately depend on you and your mentor(s). You will have to coordinate with your mentor(s) on when to begin your internship.

Contact

Additional Information

To view our former interns’ profiles, click here. Former interns have developed essential skills and knowledge, preparing them for graduate school and industry opportunities. Take a look at what some of them bad to say about their internship experience:

Chris Cundy
Beth Barnes
Dmitrii Krasheninnikov
Stephen Casper
Cynthia Chen
Harry Giles
Michael McDonald

Highlighted Papers

UC Berkeley Values and Principles

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant see here. For the complete University of California’s Nondiscrimination Policy, see here.

Center for Human-Compatible AI