I’ve decided to join Ought , a non-profit research lab. I wrote about the move here , but TLDR: Ought is exploring how machine learning techniques can support open-ended reasoning and research. At the moment their main focus is building Elicit an AI research assistant that helps automate literature reviews. The long-term vision is to develop tools and techniques that mitigate AI alignment risks.

They’re based in the Bay Area of California, so I’ll be on flights over the Atlantic more often. London is still my home base for the long-term future. I’ll spare you my gauche love letter to this city, but leaving only makes me realise how deeply I appreciate it. Stepping back onto TFL platforms, Sainsbury’s aisles, and hodge-podge pavements feel like breathing again. Perhaps it’s just a matter of contrasts though; San Fransisco’s grimey vibes are not for me.

I’ve started hosting a monthly event for the Future of Code community here. I’m keeping it low-key for the moment. Meaning it’s just thirty people in a pub talking shop about CRDT’s, spatial canvases, and embodied cognition. My kind of Friday night.

We’ve got an exceptional class of people coming at the moment. I’m thinking hard about how to preserve this early group energy; keeping it small, not promoting it too much (lest the recruiters and VC’s get wind of the event), and maintaining the “don’t take this too seriously” vibes. Most other tech meetups in London turn out to be overstuffed, impersonal networking evenings. They’re held in some fluorescently lit office where a handful of people give lightweight talks over lukewarm pizza. Everyone wants to escape home as soon as they’ve arrived. Avoiding this vibe is my first priority.