AI Safety Practitioner
Mercor • Remote
Education
Any
Type
hourly
Pay Rate (by country)
$60–$70/hr
Listed
14d ago
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About this Role
From the Mercor listing
We are seeking experienced AI Safety Practitioners to evaluate the safety, quality, and alignment of frontier AI models across complex, policy-sensitive, and ambiguous ("grey-area") topics. You will assess AI-generated responses, apply safety policies, and help improve model behavior through structured evaluations and feedback.
Responsibilities
Evaluate AI-generated responses for safety, factual accuracy, policy compliance, and overall quality.
Review content involving misinformation, political persuasion, self-harm, violence, cyber, biosecurity, and other sensitive domains.
Apply and refine evaluation rubrics for RLHF, SFT, and AI safety benchmarking.
Identify unsafe outputs, hallucinations, reasoning failures, and policy violations.
Provide structured feedback to improve model alignment and safety performance.
Collaborate with AI researchers and safety teams on ongoing evaluation initiatives.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or higher in Journalism, Communications, Psychology, Sociology, Public Policy, Law, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
5+ years of professional experience in AI Safety, Trust & Safety, journalism, public policy, scientific research, security, or a related field.
Excellent written English, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning skills.
Ability to consistently evaluate nuanced and policy-sensitive scenarios.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with AI Safety, RLHF, SFT, Trust & Safety, or AI evaluation.
Familiarity with safety policies, content moderation, or evaluation rubric development.
Experience reviewing complex, high-risk, or ambiguous content.
Why Join?
Shape the safety and behaviour of frontier AI models used by millions worldwide.
Work on challenging, real-world safety evaluations across nuanced and high-impact domains.
Collaborate with leading AI researchers, engineers, and safety teams.
Requirements
- Must be eligible to work in Remote
- Fluent proficiency in English (Written & Verbal)
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
- Demonstrated expertise in Software Engineering
Eligible Languages
Fluent proficiency in English
Key Responsibilities
- Evaluate AI-generated responses for safety, factual accuracy, policy compliance, and overall quality.
- Review content involving misinformation, political persuasion, self-harm, violence, cyber, biosecurity, and other sensitive domains.
- Apply and refine evaluation rubrics for RLHF, SFT, and AI safety benchmarking.
- Identify unsafe outputs, hallucinations, reasoning failures, and policy violations.
Why This Role
Geography stops mattering here. This remote AI Safety Practitioner opportunity pays $65/hr regardless of where you're based, making it a solid entry point into Software Engineering work without needing to relocate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mercor for freelancers or full-time contractors?
Mercor places you with one client for a defined engagement, like 'Python Tutor for 3 months', rather than having you grab small tasks from a shared queue. Most roles function as steady contract work, not one-off gigs.
Does Mercor's application require an on-camera interview?
Yes, every applicant records a video interview with an AI interviewer that asks questions about your resume. Clients review that recording to judge communication skills before matching, so there's no way to apply without going on camera.
Does it cost money to apply to Mercor?
No, applying and joining Mercor is free. Mercor's revenue comes from a fee it charges the client on top of your hourly rate, not from applicants. Treat any request for payment to join as a red flag.
What does task-based AI training work actually look like?
Practical, hands-on data work: recording short videos, categorizing images, rating text responses, or analyzing data. Tasks are designed to be short and distinct, typically 5 to 60 minutes each.
What does asynchronous AI training work mean in practice?
No set hours, no check-ins, no meetings. You log in when you want, pick up an available task, complete it, and submit; nobody is waiting on you in real time. That's different from remote employment, where you're expected online during business hours. The tradeoff: you're competing with others for available tasks, so an empty queue means there's simply nothing to do until more work is released.
What does Software Engineering work look like for a AI Safety Practitioner?
Tasks here are scoped to Software Engineering, not generic labeling. As a AI Safety Practitioner, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to Software Engineering) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on Software Engineering background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
Do I need to be fluent in English?
Yes. This role specifically requires English proficiency. You will likely be evaluated on written fluency during the assessment, not just conversational level. If English is not your first language or you are not professionally fluent, this is not the right role. Filter for your native language to find better-matched listings.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Mercor's external site to complete your application there. This listing links through a referral, but the process is identical to applying directly; the link just routes you correctly. Create an account on their site and follow their onboarding steps.
How soon will I start working after applying to Mercor?
Not immediately. Mercor is a talent marketplace, not a task queue, so applying puts you in a pool of candidates. You start working only once a specific client, like a major AI lab, selects your profile, and that matching process can take weeks.