Training people in India to work on technical AI safety
A four-week, in-person technical AI safety bootcamp in Bangalore, India, based on the ARENA curriculum. You’ll work through coding exercises on the methods used in AI safety research, in pairs with other participants. Travel, accommodation, compute and API credits are covered.
- Cohort
- January 2027 (tentative)
- Length
- 4 weeks
- Venue
- Bangalore AI Safety Exchange (BASE) in-person
- Cost
- Fully funded
Program structure
Week 0
Fundamentals
PyTorch, CNNs and ResNets, optimization, backpropagation, and a transformer built from scratch.
Week 1
Mechanistic interpretability
Methods for working out what a trained transformer has learned.
Week 2
Reinforcement learning and alignment science
RL fundamentals, RLHF on language models, and topics such as emergent misalignment.
Week 3
Capstone project
A one-week project on a topic of your choice from the course.
Frequently asked questions
Who should apply?
People who care about AI safety, code well in Python and are comfortable with the maths behind modern AI, at any stage: students, software engineers and researchers are all welcome. You don’t need any prior AI safety experience. The first cohort is open to applicants based in India.
Does it cost anything?
No. We cover travel to and from Bangalore, accommodation for the four weeks, and compute and API credits.
Where is it held?
In person at the Bangalore AI Safety Exchange (BASE) in Bangalore (Bengaluru), India.
How is it taught?
You start each topic with pair-programmed exercises, then do open-ended work on it with support from teaching assistants. The last week is a capstone project.
Is this your own curriculum?
No. We teach from the ARENA curriculum, an open set of materials for learning the technical side of AI safety research.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Participants who complete the program receive a certificate.
When does the first cohort run?
We’re planning for January 2027. Exact dates will be announced when applications open.
How are participants selected?
We’ll publish the selection process when applications open. Register your interest on the Apply page and we’ll let you know.
Who runs AARTI?
Three organizers in Bangalore, in collaboration with Electric Sheep.
