Changes in funding in the AI safety field

Abstract

This article outlines growth and distribution trends in funding allocated to the field of AI Safety between 2014 and 2017. It reports an upsurge in funding and a diversification of research efforts in AI safety. Funding in 2016 was ~$6.6m, with significant contributions from industry giants like DeepMind and Google Brain. Academic institutions and non-profit organizations also contribute to the funding pool, although their share is not yet substantial. The distribution of funding reveals a focus on technical research, with the largest proportion going to the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI). The article highlights potential implications and offers suggestions, such as supporting diversity of approaches in technical safety research and establishing pipelines for non-technical work, outreach, and policy. – AI-generated abstract.