AI Safety & Policy Lab
AISA is excited to launch the inaugural AI Safety & Policy (AISAP) Lab, a semester-long program bringing together interdisciplinary student teams and state legislators to explore the technical, ethical, and societal implications of advanced AI. The AISAP Lab equips students with the skills to translate AI safety research into policy-relevant insights while giving legislators clear, actionable support on emerging technologies.
The AISAP Lab will connect student teams with legislatures to facilitate mutual learning, clarity on emerging AI risks, and the development of well-informed, evidence-based policy perspectives. The program will include:
Direct collaboration with legislators: Weekly team briefings where students present analyses, explain technical concepts, and explore policy implications.
Structured upskilling: Orientation, workshops, and guided materials on AI safety, alignment, governance frameworks, and policymaking.
Interdisciplinary teamwork: Each legislator is matched with a team of two technical-track and two policy-track students.
Meaningful deliverables: Policy Literacy Reports, Legislative Education Toolkits, demos, midterm updates, final presentations, and a post-program synthesis report.
Inter-university mixers with AI safety groups in Boston and Cambridge, fostering cross-campus collaboration.
Student applications are open now! The deadline to apply by is by the end of the day on December 22nd, and will be reviewed on a rolling basis!
Legislative Lead applications are open now! The deadline to apply by is by the end of the day on December 16th!
Monique Priestley (she/her) is serving her second term as a Vermont State Representative (Orange-2), focusing on consumer protection, especially in data privacy, artificial intelligence, and right-to-repair, as well as the future of work. She serves on the House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development, the Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee, and several national tech policy committees. She is Co-Chair of Vermont’s Rural Caucus, Co-Chair of the Future Caucus National Task Force on AI Policy, and a member of the Multi-State Legislative AI Working Group Steering Team. Monique was named a 2024 EPIC National Champion of Freedom and a Council of State Governments Top 20 Under 40. She is an alum of the NCSL Emerging Leaders Program, the Future Caucus Policy Innovation Lab Fellowship, the CSG Eastern Leadership Academy, and was selected for the 2025 CSG Henry Toll Fellowship.
The AISAP Lab is developed in collaboration with Vermont State Representative Monique Priestley, whose commitment to responsible technology governance helps guide this programs design.