Epistemic status: Personal account. A reflection on navigating entry into the AI safety space without formal credentials or institutional affiliation. Also, a log of how ideas can evolve through rejection, redirection, and informal collaboration.

--

A few weeks ago, I wrote a long, messy reflection on my Substack on how I landed in the world of AI. It was not through a PhD or a research lab, but through a silent breakdown. Postpartum depression, career implosion, identity confusion and the whole mid-30s existential unravelling shebang. In that void, I stumbled onto LLMs. And something clicked. Not because I suddenly wanted to build models. But because for the first time in a long time, I felt curious again. Alive. Like my brain was waking up.

This is part two of that story. The part where I start applying to roles and fellowships that resonate with the ideas I’ve been thinking [...]

---

First published:
June 10th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/NQGHxoTAcKaxnZke9/research-without-permission

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.