Member of Technical Staff
P-Zero Research
Member of Technical Staff
P-Zero Research
AI research benchmarks measuring model taste
P-Zero Research is a public benefit corporation working to improve the long term trajectory of artificial intelligence. We aim to forecast and mitigate the risks of automated AI R&D.
Our recent work has involved improving takeoff forecasts by measuring the research taste of frontier models. As frontier labs move closer to automating their own research, we expect independent measurements and forecasts to become one of the main tools for pacing the frontier safely.
As an economist on our technical team, you would own a research agenda end to end: developing models of AI takeoff and estimating their key parameters with data that no one else has. You would find the assumptions that move forecasts most and have the least evidence behind them, then pin them down with large-scale experiments and data from frontier labs.
In this role you will:
Build and refine models of AI takeoff, and test which parameters drive their forecasts
Estimate their key parameters from public data and new experiments you design
Build relationships across academic, policy and industry communities
Work with our engineers to execute experiments at scale on frontier models
Design proposals for safely pacing automated AI R&D progress
Publish great papers that help the world prepare for the transformative effects of AI
People will thrive in this role with:
A strong track record in empirical research such as a PhD in economics or equivalent experience
Relevant experience in some of:
Structural and production-function estimation
Causal inference from sparse or messy observational data
Economics of innovation and science of science
Experimental economics and measurement design
Industrial organisation, such as compute markets and lab competition
Serious engagement with models of AI takeoff and automated AI R&D
Hands-on familiarity with frontier AI capabilities
Enough comfort with light coding, alone or with AI coding agents, to analyse your own results
The ability to turn an ill-posed question into a tractable model or estimate
Alignment with P-Zero's mission to improve the long term trajectory of AI
Bonus points for:
A background in growth theory or the economics of innovation
Frontier-lab or METR/AISI-adjacent expertise
Being based in, or able to relocate to, London or the San Francisco Bay Area
We prefer people to work in person in London or the San Francisco Bay Area. We're open to remote for exceptional candidates, with regular overlap during our core hours (8-10am Pacific / 4-6pm UK).
We offer a relocation allowance for moves to London or the San Francisco Bay Area.
San Francisco Bay Area: we sponsor US work visas (typically O-1A, E-3 or TN) and cover legal and filing fees, including for dependants. Sponsorship isn't guaranteed for every candidate, but if we make you an offer we'll work with you and our immigration counsel to find the right route.
London: we can't sponsor UK visas at the moment, so you'll need an existing right to work in the UK or a visa you hold in your own right, such as a Global Talent visa.
AI research benchmarks measuring model taste
P-Zero Research builds benchmarks to measure AI models’ ability to conduct research and make scientific judgments, centered on its TasteVal tool. TasteVal evaluates how well a model can design experiments and interpret results, yielding a score based on the computational effort needed to reach expert-level performance. The company distinguishes itself by measuring experimental design quality and interpretation, not only task accuracy, and by using computational efficiency as a key metric. Its aim is to provide concrete, comparable benchmarks that track progress in AI research capabilities and safety, with implications for future self-improvement.
Explore more opportunities at P-Zero Research