AI Safety Forum Australia
Alexander Saeri

Alexander Saeri

Director, AI Risk Initiative, MIT FutureTech

About

I conduct and communicate research to help govern highly capable general-purpose AI. I direct the MIT AI Risk Initiative at MIT FutureTech, and hold positions at MIT FutureTech and The University of Queensland. I'm based in Melbourne. My methods background is in social psychology, applied behaviour science, implementation science, evidence synthesis, systems thinking, and survey research.

Speaking at Australian AI Safety Forum 2026

What are the top risks from AI?

7 July 2026 · 12:00 pm – 12:25 pm · Refectorytalk

There are many AI risks. Some are already causing harm: discrimination, loss of privacy, and fraud. Others are emerging and intensifying: overreliance, AI-enabled weapons or cyberattacks, and misalignment. I'll share findings from the MIT AI Risk Initiative's Delphi study of 272 AI experts, which sought consensus on which AI risks are most severe; who is most vulnerable; and who is most responsible for addressing them.