Senior Psychologist or Sociologist - AI Psychology & Safety

Snapshot We are seeking a Senior Psychologist or Sociologist to join the Responsible Development & Innovation team (ReDI) at Google DeepMind. The candidate must have a strong general understanding of core psychological principles and the ability to leverage internal and external expertise in AI-related areas (e.g., cognitive, behavioural) as well as the ability to translate these into technical safety protocols for AI models. An extensive working knowledge of developmental psychology is particularly important for supporting our work. About us Artificial Intelligence could be one of humanity’s most useful inventions. At Google DeepMind, we’re a team of scientists, engineers, machine learning experts and more, working together to advance the state of the art in artificial intelligence. We use our technologies for widespread public benefit and scientific discovery, and collaborate with others on critical challenges, ensuring safety and ethics are the highest priority. The Team As part of its remit, the Responsible Development & Innovation team (ReDI) team proactively identifies, researches, and addresses emerging ethical and safety challenges in AI. Collaborating with internal and external experts, the team develops and refines practical guidelines and policies to ensure Google DeepMind’s technology aligns with our AI Principles. When necessary, the team conducts original research to inform these pioneering guidelines and policies. The team’s relevant output includes: Guidelines for research or governance teams in developing or deploying technology. Artifacts, processes, or coordination mechanisms supporting the creation and implementation of these guidelines and policies within Google DeepMind and beyond, such as academic papers, evaluation frameworks, and cross-company workshops. The role As a Senior Psychologist or Sociologist within the Ethics Foresight team, you will be pivotal in ensuring our advanced AI models interact with people, in healthy and developmentally appropriate ways, consistent with Google DeepMind’s values. You will use your intellectual agility and deep expertise in psychology and technical understanding of the AI model development pipeline to proactively identify, research and address potential ethical and well-being implications of our AI technologies. You will use this research to design model guardrails. This role demands someone capable of quickly grasping and contributing to diverse topics while possessing a strong foundational understanding of psychological principles, especially as they relate to human-computer interaction and AI safety. The focus of this role is on developing internal guidelines and informing our AI development process. Key responsibilities Model Safety & Psychology Guidelines: Research and develop practical guidelines and implementable safety frameworks informed by general psychological principles (e.g., cognitive biases, well-being, mental health, developmental) and empirical data to define model behavior in ways that promote positive outcomes and mitigate potential psychological harms. Eval Design & Implementation:: Convert these frameworks into concrete evaluation protocols and red-teaming artifacts . Collaborate with model development teams to advise on safety fine-tuning, defining key metrics, designing prompt sets, and establishing criteria for significant results. Emerging AI Risks: Stay informed about the latest research and emerging trends in child psychology, developmental science, and the evolving landscape of Generative AI and its potential impact on young people. Risk Identification and Analysis: Proactively identify and research potential psychological risks and ethical considerations arising from interactions between advanced AI and children, drawing upon a combination of your expertise in child development, attachment theory, social-emotional learning, and related fields, as well as emerging AI capabilities. Technical & Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with AI researchers, ML engineers, and product managers across Google DeepMind to integrate psychological insights directly into the model training and deployment lifecycle. Literature Review and Expert Consultation: Conduct thorough reviews of relevant academic literature in psychology, education and technology, human-computer interaction, and AI ethics. Engage with internal and external experts to gather diverse perspectives and inform guideline development. About you In order to set you up for success as a Senior Psychologist and Sociologist at Google DeepMind, we look for the following skills and experience: A PhD in Psychology (Clinical, Developmental, Social, Cognitive), Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, or related fields. Significant research experience in one or more of the following areas: child development, adolescent psychology, attachment theory, social-emotional learning, Online Safety, or other relevant areas of applied psychology. Experience working in a tech company, AI lab, or product-focused environment. Familiarity with the AI development lifecycle (e.g., training, fine-tuning, evaluation) and concepts such as Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF). A strong understanding of ethical principles and considerations relevant to psychological research and the application of psychological principles in technology. Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and contribute effectively to technical discussions outside of core expertise. Excellent research, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate ambiguous psychological concepts into concrete technical requirements. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex psychological concepts clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences. Ability to collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary teams and contribute to a fast-paced environment. A proactive and independent approach to identifying and addressing potential challenges and exploring novel research questions. Experience with ethical considerations in technology development and familiarity with AI concepts and technologies. Experience in applied research settings or translating academic knowledge into practical guidelines or applications. The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $197,000 USD - 291,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your targeted location during the hiring process. Note: In the event your application is successful and an offer of employment is made to you, any offer of employment will be conditional on the results of a background check, performed by a third party acting on our behalf. For more information on how we handle your data, please see our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy. At Google DeepMind, we value diversity of experience, knowledge, backgrounds and perspectives and harness these qualities to create extraordinary impact. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.