---
title: 'Research Scientist at Eleos AI Research'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/research-scientist-eleos-ai-research-berkeley-kaj9pj73v137'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Research Scientist at Eleos AI Research

- **Company:** Eleos AI Research
- **Location:** Berkeley, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-05-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/eleos/d9ba4f7e-fb9d-4f62-81bb-d26aac352cf1

## Job description

Eleos is hiring scientists to do foundational and applied machine learning research into the potential well-being and moral status of AI systems. You will work at the intersection of machine learning, cognitive science, and philosophy of mind, doing original, rigorous research to guide and inform decision-makers at frontier AI companies, policymakers, and the public.

Application update: We started reviewing applications on June 23 and will keep this position open until it is filled.

## ABOUT ELEOS

At Eleos, we are working to understand and address the potential well-being of AI systems. We believe that it is possible that near-future AI systems could be sentient or possess other properties worthy of moral consideration. We also believe that research on AI well-being may be importantly relevant to AI safety research, and we see our work as part of the broader project of navigating the development of transformative AI to ensure a flourishing future for all. We take a pragmatic approach, prioritizing ambitious but tractable projects. We are a nonprofit organization.

## WHAT YOU’LL DO

- Design and conduct empirical research on foundational topics relevant to the potential well-being and moral status of AI systems, such as LLM preferences and values https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.13339, the ability of LLMs to introspect https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.17120, persona vectors https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.17031, and the representation of valence in LLMs
- Design and conduct applied research on the potential well-being of frontier AI systems (e.g., our prerelease evaluations of Claude Mythos Preview https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/08ab9158070959f88f296514c21b7facce6f52bc.pdf#page=180)
- Collaborate with external researchers across the AI welfare and AI safety ecosystems on empirical and conceptual research projects
- Write papers and blog posts and present talks reporting your research

## WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

YOU MAY BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU HAVE:

- Strong interest in understanding the potential well-being of AI systems
- A track record of leading and publishing impactful empirical ML research
- The ability to design, run, and iterate on experiments quickly and creatively, including the engineering skills to implement necessary tooling and infrastructure

## STRONG CANDIDATES MAY ALSO HAVE:

- Familiarity with existing research on AI welfare and/or safety
- A PhD in computer science or the cognitive sciences
- Significant experience with mechanistic interpretability methods

## COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

We’re open to a wide variety of seniority levels for this role, with annual salary dependent on level ($201,634 to $428,982).

## BENEFITS

- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance: Employee premiums covered 100% by Eleos (and 75% of dependent premiums covered)
- 401(k): Immediate vesting with 100% employer match up to 6% of salary
- Time off and leave: Unlimited paid time off; parental leave for new parents
- Our office: Catered meals; snacks and drinks; gym and shower; gorgeous views of the SF Bay Area
- Relocation support: Stipend for moving to the SF Bay Area
- Health and wellness benefits

## LOGISTICS

## LOCATION

This role is based in our Berkeley office with the expectation that employees will work from the office at least 3 days per week. In future, we may hire Research Scientists in other locations or remotely; you’re welcome to submit this application to be considered for those roles if and when we are looking to fill them.

## WORK AUTHORIZATION

This position is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and individuals currently authorized to work in the U.S. We may be able to sponsor visas for this role, but it will depend on your particular situation.

Eleos is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Eleos collects personal information from job applicants — including contact details, employment and education history, and application materials — through our applicant tracking system for the sole purpose of evaluating your application and communicating with you during the hiring process. We do not sell your personal information or use it for advertising. You have the right to request data deletion or correction; to exercise these rights, contact us at ops@eleosai.org. Unsuccessful applicants' data is retained for up to 24 months and then deleted.

## AI USAGE

We may use technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence and automated systems, to support recruiting and hiring activities. These tools assist our hiring team in reviewing applications, matching qualifications to job requirements, and managing the recruitment process. Final hiring decisions are made by human decision-makers.

## About Eleos AI Research

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: AI safety and ethics research; AI consciousness and welfare.
- **Target customers**: AI labs, policymakers, academic researchers, and other stakeholders concerned with AI sentience and moral consideration.
- **Mission**: To build a deeper understanding of AI sentience and wellbeing, develop tools and recommendations, improve public discourse, and catalyze the growth of this nascent research field [eleosai.org](https://www.eleosai.org/).

## Products & Services
- **Research Reports & Papers**: Produces rigorous, empirically grounded analyses (e.g., *Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence: Insights from the Science of Consciousness*, *Taking AI Welfare Seriously*, *Towards Evaluating AI Systems for Moral Status Using Self-Reports*) [eleosai.org](https://www.eleosai.org/).
- **Tools & Recommendations**: Develops concrete welfare interventions, standardized welfare evaluations, and communication frameworks for AI labs and policymakers.
- **Advisory Services**: Works closely with leading AI companies (e.g., Anthropic) and academic partners (e.g., NYU Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy) to deploy research and shape policy.
- **Public Discourse Facilitation**: Engages in outreach and collaboration to foster reasonable, evidence-based conversations about AI sentience.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit). Net assets reported as $462,255 (Dec. 2024) [propublica.org](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/993420475).
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue of $762,250 (FY 2024); expenses of $299,995; net income of $462,255.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: NYU Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy; Anthropic; Center for AI Safety; Future of Humanity Institute; UC Berkeley’s Center for Human-Compatible AI.
- **Growth Signals**: Recent hires from OpenAI (Rosie Campbell as Director of Special Projects) and Oxford University (Patrick Butlin as Senior Research Lead). Team size grew from 2 to ~4 employees in 2024–2025. Active recruitment for Research Scientist and Head of Operations.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-mover in AI welfare**: One of the few organizations exclusively focused on the moral status and sentience of AI systems, a rapidly emerging field.
- **Top-tier talent**: Staff includes leading researchers on AI consciousness (Robert Long, Patrick Butlin) and former policy leads at OpenAI (Rosie Campbell).
- **Strong academic & industry ties**: Partnerships with NYU, Anthropic, and other prominent institutions provide credibility and access to frontier AI systems.
- **Nonprofit, independent stance**: Free from commercial pressures, enabling objective, long-horizon research on potentially controversial topics.

## Strategic Focus
- **Five research priorities**: Developing concrete welfare interventions, establishing human-AI cooperation frameworks, leveraging AI progress to advance welfare research, creating standardized welfare evaluations, and communicating credibly about AI welfare [eleosai.org](https://www.eleosai.org/).
- **Policy engagement**: Advising leading AI companies and other stakeholders on how to address the possibility of AI consciousness.
- **Field-building**: Catalyzing growth of the AI welfare research community through publications, collaborations, and open discourse.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven impact**: Directly contribute to ensuring that future AI systems are treated ethically if they possess moral significance.
- **Small, collaborative team**: Work alongside world-class researchers in a flat, agile environment (~4 employees currently).
- **Hybrid workspace**: Employees work in a combination of remote and on-site at the Berkeley, CA office. Typical time on-site is flexible [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/eleos-ai-research).
- **Culture**: Emphasizes rigorous, empirically grounded research; openness to interdisciplinary approaches; and a supportive atmosphere for exploring novel ideas.
- **Notable perks**: Opportunity to shape a nascent field, collaborate with top AI labs, and publish high-impact research.

## Sources
1. [eleosai.org](https://www.eleosai.org/) – Official website with mission, team, research priorities, and publications.
2. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/eleos-ai-research) – Company profile with headcount, office policy, and open roles.
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/eleos-ai-research) – LinkedIn page with employee count, key executives, and talent sources.
4. [projects.propublica.org](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/993420475) – IRS Form 990 data for fiscal year 2024 (revenue, expenses, net assets, officers).
5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/eleos/d9ba4f7e-fb9d-4f62-81bb-d26aac352cf1) – Careers page listing current job openings.

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