Purpose

The Georgetown AI Association (GAIA) is dedicated to supporting graduate and undergraduate students interested in mitigating risks from advanced AI. Through its fellowships, speaker events, research collaboration opportunities, career guidance, social events, and other activities, GAIA seeks to equip individuals to improve AI policy. Our primary goal is to facilitate learning and support students’ careers as they relate to AI safety, ensuring a responsible and secure future for AI technologies.

  • AI Policy Fellowship

  • Workshops

  • Speaker Panels

  • Research Collaboration

  • Substack Publishing

  • Career Guidance

What do we do?

Past Events

  • Flyer for an event titled 'Tech Policy Careers' presented by the Georgetown AI Association, featuring speakers Divjot Bawa and Scott Singer, scheduled for January 22, 5-6 pm EST, with a QR code and RSVP link.

    Fireside Chat with Dr. Ben Buchanan

    Expert Speaker Panel

    April 28, 2026

    GAIA hosted a fireside chat on the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and national security, led by Dr. Ben Buchanan. Dr. Buchanan is the former White House Special Advisor on AI for the Biden Administration and currently serves as an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

    Dr. Buchanan first shared his insights on pertinent issues, including current U.S. chip export control policy and Anthropic’s legal battle with the Department of Defense, after which the event transitioned into a moderated audience Q&A period where students engaged with Dr. Buchanan on his career and recent developments in AI policy.

  • A teacher giving a presentation on a projector screen in a classroom filled with students. The slide lists rules for open-source internet investigations and includes a colorful circular diagram. Students are seated at desks with laptops, and a blackboard with handwritten notes is in the background.

    AI and Democracy

    Small Group Discussion

    April 8, 2026

    GAIA hosted a moderated discussion on "AI and Democracy," featuring Dr. Barba-Kay. Dr. Barba-Kay is a philosopher whose work focuses on the intersection of technology and ethics, and he is the author of Web of Our Own Making: The Nature of Digital Formation. He currently serves as a fellow at the Carr-Ryan Center at the Harvard Kennedy School, a distinguished fellow at Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology, and a Senior Fellow at UC San Diego’s Institute for Practical Ethics.

    Dr. Barba-Kay first led a session to examine the philosophical implications of digital technology as a "natural technology" that fundamentally transforms human deliberation, after which attendees engaged in a conversation about the challenges that generative AI and algorithmic influence pose to democratic institutions and individual agency.

  • Panelists seated at a panel in a classroom or lecture hall, with a large screen displaying a welcome message and information about the Georgetown Responsible AI Network, logos of various organizations, QR codes, and a description of the event.

    Discussion with Dr. Colin Shea-Blymer

    Expert Speaker Panel

    March 17, 2026

    GAIA welcomed Dr. Colin Shea-Blymer, a researcher at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), for a fireside chat. This conversation explored Shea-Blymyer’s expert research on AI red-teaming, recursive self-improvement, and the cyber implications of AI, as well as his collaborative work with NIST and CSET.

    The session provided students with the opportunity to engage with Shea-Blymyer on a range of topics, including his insights on careers in AI policy. The evening concluded with a dedicated audience Q&A followed by an informal networking session, allowing attendees to connect directly with the researcher.