Research Scientist, Automated Sciences

About the position OpenAI's mission is to ensure that AGI benefits all of humanity. The Mission Alignment team works with leaders across OpenAI as thought partners and evangelists of the mission and stewards of the OpenAI charter. We think deeply about the future to form a grounded, holistic view of what kinds of benefits and disruptions AGI might bring, based on our own research and collaborations with colleagues in many fields (e.g. research, economics, policy, national and global security). We use this analysis to make recommendations about some of the most important problems facing the company, work on special projects on an as-needed basis, and periodically communicate to the company as a whole about the mission. We are seeking a Research Scientist with deep expertise in automated science, machine learning, and scientific discovery to join our team. In this role, you will focus on developing methods to systematically identify fields of science and engineering where AI models can have the greatest impact. You will design and implement scalable approaches to automate the discovery, curation, and prioritization of scientific domains for model training. Beyond identifying key research areas, you will also play a critical role in ensuring that AI is applied responsibly in scientific domains. This includes assessing potential risks, promoting AI safety, and proactively considering the ethical, epistemological, and societal implications of integrating AI into scientific workflows. Your work will help shape our AI-driven research strategy, ensuring that models are not only trained on the most relevant scientific data but also deployed in a way that upholds the integrity and reliability of scientific inquiry. This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

Responsibilities

• Develop frameworks to identify and prioritize scientific and engineering disciplines for AI model training, leveraging machine learning, data-driven analysis, and expert insights.
• Design automated methods for mapping emerging research areas, assessing knowledge gaps, and forecasting impactful scientific fields.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to curate high-quality training data and guide the development of models that advance scientific discovery.
• Build and refine tools to orchestrate large-scale literature analysis, data extraction, and research landscape mapping.
• Assess and mitigate potential risks associated with AI-driven scientific research, ensuring AI models are applied in a safe, transparent, and responsible manner.
• Work closely with researchers, engineers, and domain experts to translate findings into actionable recommendations for model development.
• Stay at the forefront of scientific trends, technological advancements, and AI applications in science and engineering.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in automated science, machine learning, and scientific discovery.
• Strong background in multimodal web agents, computer-using agents, relevant large-scale reinforcement learning or agentic safety research.
• Strong engineering skills in designing and optimizing large-scale machine learning systems.

Nice-to-haves

• Excited about making real-world impact through cutting edge agent research and deployment.
• Team player, willing to do a variety of tasks that move the team forward.
• Excels in execution, consistently and completing tasks efficiently.
• Enjoy fast-paced, collaborative, and cutting-edge research environments.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance to new employees.
• Hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week.

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