Project summary

After participating in the first ML4Good event organized by Effisciences in 2022, I not only discovered the importance of AI Safety. I realized how critical it is to ensure that artificial intelligence is developed safely, and this sparked a strong interest in contributing to this essential field.

Before this shift, I was studying timberframe building, having been disheartened by my previous educational experience. After this summer bootcamp, I decided to completely rethink my career path. In the evenings, I began teaching myself to code, determined to gain the skills needed to transition into a field where I could make a meaningful impact. After months of effort, I was accepted into the highly selective 42 Lyon program—a peer-based school with no teachers, offering an innovative curriculum designed to develop problem-solving and technical skills through intensive project work.

Currently, I have no income to cover housing and daily expenses, which makes it difficult to fully commit to my studies. Securing financial support would enable me to focus on my education and start building a career in the AI safety field while also contributing to field building by creating en AI org in 42 Lyon.

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

The short-term goal is to establish an AI club within the institution, similar to what currently exists at 42 Paris. This club would aim to raise awareness among students (approximately 600 at the school) about AI Safety by organizing conferences.

For a smaller, more dedicated group, it would provide opportunities to work on specific technical projects, participate in hackathons, and engage in reading and discussion groups. The club would also encourage exchanges between 42 Lyon and 42 Paris to share ideas and help students advance their career paths.

The medium-term goal is to secure internships or apprenticeships in companies or organizations working on AI model evaluation, governance, cybersecurity against AI-driven attacks, and similar topics.

The long-term goal is to contribute to these fields by involving more technical people. 

How will this funding be used?

I resigned from my position as a structural design technician in timber engineering to return to school and pursue meaningful projects. While the program is free thanks to sponsor funding, I still need a minimal income to cover my basic living expenses.

Without financial support, I would have no choice but to take on a low-value, time-consuming job just to make ends meet. This would leave me unable to focus on my studies and on launching an organization dedicated to AI safety at 42—an initiative that I believe has significant potential for impact.

With the funds, I could avoid this trade-off, ensuring a minimal income that allows me to dedicate myself fully to both my education and building this organization, aligning a bit more my efforts with the need for more people involved in the AI safety ecosystem.

• Minimal Income (12 months) :

  • Min (€) : 6 000

  • Max (€) : 7 000

• Food and Essentials (12 months) :

  • Min (€) : 3 600

  • Max (€) : 4 000

• Basic Operational Costs for 42 AI Lyon (events, tools, outreach, 12 months) :

  • Min (€) : 2 400

  • Max (€) : 4 000

• TOTAL :

  • Min (€) : 12 000

  • Max (€) : 15 000

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

Within the school, around ten students have expressed their motivation and interest to join 42 AI Lyon.

Tom David (Chairman GPAI Policy Lab; Co-founder & Director of Governance and Standardization at PRISM Eval)

Charbel-Raphaël Sergerie (Executive Director, CeSIA)

Diego Dorn (Research Engineer, CeSIA)

Manuel Bimich (Head of Strategy, CeSIA)

Quentin Feuillade-Montixi (CTO, PRISM Eval)

Pierre Peigné (CSO, PRISM Eval)

Personal Experience:

Enrolled at École 42 Lyon since November 4, 2024.

Completed the 26-day intensive selection program ("Piscine") for École 42 Lyon in September 2024.

Earned a certificate in Linear Algebra for Machine Learning and Data Science from Coursera in 2023.

Earned a certificate in AI for Everyone from Coursera in 2023.

Participated in the ML4Good initiative organized by Effisciences in 2022.

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

The €650 aid (RSA) would not be sufficient to cover my needs. I would be forced to prematurely end my studies and return to my work as a draftsman. Finding a part-time job would, at best, prevent me from dedicating enough time to establish an AI club and, at worst, risk causing me to fail my academic year. In either scenario, my impact would be significantly limited, if not entirely nullified.

As for 42 AI Lyon, if the students trained were to go into capabilities-focused work, it could pose an issue. However, this seems unlikely if they actively participate in events and are regularly exposed to the importance of AI safety. This is especially true if there are direct job opportunities available in France, such as with PRISM Eval or Césia.

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

This is my first funding request; I have never raised money before.