About AISANZ
AI Safety Australia & New Zealand connects people in our region to high-impact careers, research, and community in AI safety. We exist because geography shouldn't be a barrier to working on one of the most important problems of our time.
What we believe
Advanced AI systems are likely to be among the most consequential technologies humanity develops. Getting the development and deployment of these systems right – making them safe, beneficial, and well-governed – is a global challenge that requires diverse perspectives and talented people from everywhere.
Australia and New Zealand have strong technical and policy talent, but our distance from the major AI safety research centres creates real barriers. People in our region often don't know what opportunities exist, don't have the networks to access them, or aren't sure how their skills translate.
We think the highest-impact thing we can do is close that gap: systematically connecting ANZ talent to the global roles and programs where they can do the most good. This means knowing what opportunities exist, knowing who in our community is a fit, and actively making the introduction.
How we work
Three principles guide what we do and – just as importantly – what we don't.
Augment, don't duplicate
There are excellent global programs in AI safety research, governance, and field-building. We don't recreate them. We help ANZ people find and succeed in them, filling gaps that geography and culture create.
Work backwards from outcomes
We start from specific roles at specific organisations and ask "who in our network is a fit?" We only invest in pipeline-building when we find gaps we can't fill. Activity follows demand, not the other way around.
Stay opportunistic
The AI safety landscape moves fast. Our strategy is the default, but we deviate for exceptional opportunities – whether that's supporting a promising startup, responding to a policy window, or helping stand up a new local community.
What we do
Community & events
Monthly meetups in cities across Australia and New Zealand, online events, and an annual conference. We bring people together so they can learn from each other and build relationships that last beyond any single event.
Pipeline building
We work with global fellowship programs like MATS, IAPS, Blue Dot, and ERA to get more ANZ participants in. When we find opportunity types we can't fill, we invest in outreach and development to grow the local talent pool.
Opportunity tracking
We systematically track fellowships, jobs, research programs, and funding opportunities across the AI safety ecosystem – not just the ones that are obviously labelled as such. If it's relevant, we want to know about it.
Browse opportunities →Career conversations
Free one-on-one calls to help you figure out where you fit in AI safety – whether you're exploring, transitioning, or accelerating. We work backwards from specific roles to help you find the right path.
Book a session →Team
Michael Kerrison
Executive Director
Michael leads AISANZ's strategy and operations. Before this he worked in management consulting at Nous Group, and has a background in economics and data science. He took on the director role in late 2025.
Emma Humphrey
New Zealand Lead (part-time)
Emma leads AISANZ's New Zealand presence and the Christchurch AI Risk & Ethics Community, and is co-organising the upcoming NZ Conference. She brings experience in AI safety and ethics, community building, operations, and research.
Get in touch
Whether you want to chat about your career, list an event, or just say hello – we'd love to hear from you.
Get involved
Whether you're exploring AI safety for the first time or you're deep in the field, there's a place for you here. Join our mailing list, come to an event, or book a career call.
Stay in the loop→