Project summary

My paper (current draft; arXiv submission pending) has been accepted for a poster presentation at the Tokyo AI Safety Conference (happening April 12th). I have been offered funding support up to $1500. However, the funding was approved only recently, and is now less than all realistic (i.e., < 24 hours) flight options. This means I have no funding to cover my costs in Tokyo. I am prepared to cover some of them myself, though I cannot spare more than ~$250 at the moment.

I am seeking some top-up funding to cover the remainder of my flights, accommodation, Tokyo travel expenses, food/drink, insurance, and other related costs I may incur.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

• Be available to explain my work to interested individuals at the conference

• Network with members of the Japanese AI safety community

• Meet with several researchers in Tokyo
  

  My poster will be on display regardless. However, I feel it's chances of success will be improved by my presence on-hand to explain it. I would ideally arrive in Tokyo 2 days before the conference, to adjust to the time zone and recover from travel. I would also ideally stay 2-3 days afterwards, to allow time to meet for 1-1s and informal workshops if requested, so that I make proper use of the developing Japanese AI safety field and the global network of researchers in attendance.

How will this funding be used?

[all upper estimates for a 5-day stay]

$200 (extra required to cover flights) (variable, estimated)

$250 accommodation

$100 food/drink

$50 travel

$40 travel insurance

$60 contingency

Happy to donate any leftover funds back to Manifund, and/or to provide receipts/proof of attendance.

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

I am travelling alone, though the paper was co-authored by Chris Pang and developed under the supervision of Sahil K and Sophie Libkind.

I attended a research retreat organized by PIBBSS in January 2024. I also attended MATS 6.0, a portion of the Iliad 2024 conference, and the Live Machinery Workshop in November 2024. I have made lasting connections at all and benefitted massively from the exposure to other researchers. I doubt I would be where I am today were it not for these connections.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

• There may be very little uptake or interest in my work. I find this unlikely, and I have already reached out to people in Tokyo who I know from previous events, and who's interests overlap with my own.
  

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

• $1500, through a grant found by Sahil