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Who is Helen Toner? Wiki, Age, Net Worth, Husband, Family, Education, BIO

Helen Toner is a prominent Australian-American researcher and policy expert on artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for global security and governance.

She is currently the Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), where she oversees data-driven AI policy research and grantmaking. She also serves as a non-profit board member for OpenAI, one of the leading AI research organizations in the world.

Early Life and Family

Helen was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, to Mark and Emily Toner, who are both lawyers. She has four brothers: Guy, Ben, Timothy, and Daniel.

She attended Melbourne Girls Grammar School, where she excelled academically and participated in various extracurricular activities, such as debating, chess, and music. She also developed an interest in science and engineering, especially in chemistry and biotechnology.

Education

After graduating from high school, Helen enrolled in the University of Melbourne, where she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Diploma in Languages, majoring in Mandarin Chinese.

She graduated with honors in 2012 and received several awards and scholarships for her academic achievements and leadership potential. She also spent a semester abroad at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, where she improved her language skills and learned about Chinese culture and society.

Helen Toner Wiki/Bio

NameHelen Toner
Age32-35 years old (estimated)
Place of BirthMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian-American
OccupationResearcher and Policy Expert on AI
Current PositionDirector of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at CSET
EducationMA in Security Studies from Georgetown University

BSc in Chemical Engineering and Diploma in Languages from the University of Melbourne

Family MembersMark Toner (father)
Emily Toner (mother)
Guy Toner (brother)
Ben Toner (brother)
Timothy Toner (brother)
Daniel Toner (brother)
Net WorthUnknown
Social MediaFacebook: helen.toner
Homepagenewsunzip.com

Career and Achievements

Helen began her career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she worked on projects related to energy, mining, and infrastructure in Australia and Southeast Asia. She also volunteered as a mentor and tutor for underprivileged students and refugees. She left McKinsey in 2014 to pursue her passion for AI and its social impact.

She joined the Effective Altruism movement, a global community of people who use evidence and reason to find the most effective ways to improve the world. She became involved with the Centre for Effective Altruism, a non-profit organization that supports and coordinates various initiatives within the movement, such as Giving What We Can, 80,000 Hours, and the Future of Humanity Institute. She also co-founded Effective Altruism Australia, a charity that helps Australians donate more effectively to the most impactful causes.

In 2015, Helen moved to the United States to work as a Senior Research Analyst at the Open Philanthropy Project, a philanthropic organization that funds high-impact and neglected causes. She focused on AI policy and strategy, advising policymakers and grantmakers on how to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a safe and beneficial manner. She also conducted research on the AI landscape in China and the United States, and the potential risks and opportunities of advanced AI systems.

In 2018, Helen took a sabbatical to live in Beijing, China, where she studied the Chinese AI ecosystem as a Research Affiliate of Oxford University’s Centre for the Governance of AI. She interviewed various stakeholders, such as researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and journalists, and wrote reports and articles on the national security implications of AI and machine learning for China and the United States. She also testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a congressional commission that monitors and investigates the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

In 2019, Helen joined Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), a research center that provides nonpartisan analysis and policy recommendations on the security and governance challenges posed by emerging technologies, especially AI. She is currently the Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants, where she oversees the strategic direction and vision of the center, as well as the grantmaking program that supports foundational research on AI and related topics. She also serves as a non-profit board member for OpenAI, an AI research organization that aims to create and ensure the alignment of general-purpose AI that can benefit all of humanity.

Helen has written for Foreign Affairs and other outlets on the national security implications of AI and machine learning for China and the United States. She has also spoken at various events and forums, such as the World Economic Forum, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and the Brookings Institution. She has been recognized as one of the most influential and innovative thinkers on AI and its impact on society and the world.

Personal Life, Spouse, and Interests

Helen is married to David Dill, a software engineer and entrepreneur who co-founded Descript, a startup that uses AI to create and edit audio and video content. They live in Washington D.C. with their dog, Luna.

Helen enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and playing board games. She is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese and has a basic knowledge of French and Spanish. She is also a vegan and an animal lover.

Helen Toner: The Australian AI expert who helped oust Sam Altman from OpenAI

Helen Toner is one of the most influential people in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), but she is not a typical tech executive. She is a policy expert, a researcher, and a board member of OpenAI, the nonprofit organization behind some of the most advanced AI systems in the world. She is also the person who played a key role in the recent leadership change at OpenAI, which saw the departure of its CEO and co-founder Sam Altman.

Who is Helen Toner?

Helen is a 30-something Australian who has been interested in global issues and social impact since her teenage years. She was involved in United Nations Youth Australia, a youth-led organization that educates and empowers young Australians to be active global citizens. She studied chemical engineering and languages at the University of Melbourne, where she also co-founded Effective Altruism Australia, a charity that promotes using evidence and reason to do the most good.

After graduating, she moved to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in security studies at Georgetown University, where she focused on the implications of emerging technologies for national and international security. She then joined Open Philanthropy, a philanthropic organization that funds high-impact causes, as a senior research analyst. There, she advised policymakers and grantmakers on AI policy and strategy and also spent six months in Beijing studying the Chinese AI ecosystem.

In 2019, she became the director of strategy and foundational research grants at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), a think tank that provides nonpartisan analysis and policy recommendations on AI and other emerging technologies. She oversees CSET’s data-driven research, which covers topics such as AI governance, export controls, military-civil fusion, and global AI competition. She has written for Foreign Affairs and other outlets on the national security implications of AI and machine learning for China and the United States, as well as testifying before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

As a board member of OpenAI, Toner brings her expertise in AI policy and global AI strategy research, as well as her commitment to the safe and responsible deployment of technology. She is also the only board member who is not a U.S. citizen, which adds a valuable perspective to the organization’s vision and direction.

Why did Sam Altman leave OpenAI?

Sam Altman was one of the co-founders and the CEO of OpenAI since its inception. He was also the former president of Y Combinator, the influential startup accelerator that has backed companies such as Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe. He is widely regarded as one of the most visionary and influential figures in the tech industry and has been involved in various projects related to AI, biotechnology, and cryptocurrency.

However, on November 17, 2023, OpenAI announced that Altman would depart as CEO and leave the board of directors, effective immediately. The announcement came as a shock to many, as Altman had just hosted OpenAI’s first developer conference, OpenAI DevDay, a week earlier. He had also spoken at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference and an Oakland event on the same day of his departure.

According to OpenAI’s blog post, Altman’s departure followed a “deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.

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Arica Deslauriers

Update: 2024-05-21