Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society

The Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society (OxAI) is a student-led society based at the University of Oxford. It provides a platform for researchers, students, and professionals to engage in discussions, learning, and innovation related to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The society focuses on educating, connecting, and supporting individuals from all academic backgrounds who are interested in AI.
 

OxAI runs various programmes and initiatives through specialised teams. The AI Labs team leads hands-on AI research projects focusing on fairness, inclusion, and safety. The Safety and Governance team promotes research to reduce risks from advanced AI and organises courses like the AGISF programme on AI alignment. The Diversity & Inclusion team builds a community for people from underrepresented backgrounds and runs a mentorship programme connecting students with industry professionals. The Entrepreneurship Hub supports AI start-ups through co-founder matching and incubation in collaboration with other UK universities.
 

The Education team works on expanding access to AI learning and curates educational resources through the OxAI Resource Hub. The Events and Media team hosts speaker sessions, workshops, and media sharing. Previous speakers include Geoffrey Hinton and Stuart Russell. The Sponsorships and Careers team connects students with AI organisations and builds partnerships to engage the wider AI community.

Major events organised by OxAI include the AI Gala, which brings together academia and industry for a formal evening, and the Mini-Conference, featuring keynotes, panels, and workshops on various AI topics. The society also releases a term card each academic term detailing its events.
 

The current leadership includes President Ivan Vasenov, Vice President Liam Bekirsky, and Treasurer Puyu Wang.

The Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society (OxAI) was established in 1979 by Adrian Cussins, then a second-year undergraduate at New College, University of Oxford. At that time, there was no formal teaching of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the university, and research in the field was minimal. The society aimed to provide a platform for discussions and talks on AI, addressing the growing interest in the subject during the end of the "AI Winter" and the beginning of the expert systems boom.


It was established to create opportunities for students, researchers, and professionals from different academic backgrounds to engage with developments in AI and its practical applications.
 

From its early years, the society focused on hosting lectures, discussions, and events featuring researchers and industry professionals. It began by organising speaker events with notable figures, including Geoffrey Hinton and Stuart Russell, who discussed developments in AI and its future. OxAI also supported the sharing of foundational research papers and tutorials to help members build a strong understanding of the subject.
 

Over time, the society expanded its activities through dedicated teams. The AI Labs team was created to provide students with experience in conducting applied AI research. Projects under the Labs programme focused on areas such as machine learning fairness and AI safety. This programme offered supervised research opportunities and helped students develop practical skills.
 

The Safety and Governance team was formed to study the potential risks from advanced AI systems. It introduced the AI Alignment (AGISF) course, which offered curated readings and group discussions on AI safety. The team also hosted talks by researchers from organisations like DeepMind and the Future of Humanity Institute.
 

To improve inclusion and representation in the AI field, the Diversity & Inclusion team launched a mentorship programme. This connected Oxford students with mentors working in the AI industry. The team also worked to create a space for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to learn about and participate in AI.
 

The Entrepreneurship Hub supported student-led start-ups by helping founders and co-founders connect and collaborate. The team worked with other UK universities to run incubation activities and shared knowledge about AI entrepreneurship.

The Education team worked to widen access to AI learning for students from all disciplines. It started building the OxAI Education Hub, which collected free, high-quality AI learning resources. The team also conducted outreach sessions to help students learn more about AI’s role in science, society, and business.
 

Events and Media became a major part of OxAI’s activities. The society organised term-time events, workshops, and conferences. One key event was the OxAI Mini-Conference, held in March 2025, featuring keynotes, panel discussions, and workshops on large language models, AI governance, and academic research. Another major event was the AI Gala, held at the Oxford Natural History Museum in May 2025, bringing together students, researchers, and professionals for talks, networking, and demonstrations.
 

The Sponsorships and Careers team built partnerships with AI companies, research institutes, and global organisations. It ensured student access to internships, jobs, and collaborative projects, and helped raise support for OxAI’s ongoing programmes.
 

As of 2025, the society continues to run across these key areas with around 11–50 members involved. It remains active in education, research, governance, outreach, and event organisation. The current leadership team includes President Ivan Vasenov, Vice President Liam Bekirsky, and Treasurer Puyu Wang. The society operates from Oxford and maintains an active presence online through its website and social platforms.

The Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society (OxAI) has clear goals and a strong purpose focused on education, research, collaboration, and community development in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
 

The main goal of OxAI is to make AI accessible to everyone, no matter their academic background. The society wants to ensure that any student or researcher who is interested in AI has the chance to learn about it, work on projects, and take part in important discussions. OxAI believes that AI should be developed and used in a way that benefits society as a whole.
 

One important purpose of the society is to support students in learning both the technical and non-technical sides of AI. This includes coding and machine learning, but also understanding how AI affects jobs, the environment, ethics, and everyday life. The society aims to provide resources and experiences that help students become well-informed and responsible in their approach to AI.
 

Another goal is to bring together people from different fields – such as science, engineering, business, law, and the humanities – so they can work on AI in a collaborative way. By doing this, OxAI encourages interdisciplinary thinking and problem solving.

The society also works to support diversity and inclusion in the AI community. It runs programmes that give underrepresented groups more opportunities to learn, grow, and build careers in AI. This includes mentorship, workshops, and networking events. In addition, OxAI wants to help students become AI entrepreneurs by offering support for start-ups and connecting them with co-founders and mentors.

The Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society (OxAI) has made a strong impact on the University of Oxford and the wider AI community. It has created a space where students, researchers, and professionals can come together to learn about AI, share ideas, and work on real-world projects. The society has helped many students gain knowledge and practical skills through its AI Labs, mentorship programmes, and workshops.
 

One major impact of OxAI is improving access to AI education. By offering resources, talks, and training for people from all backgrounds, the society makes it easier for anyone to explore and understand AI, even without a technical background.

The society also supports ethical development of AI. Its Safety and Governance team works on research to reduce risks from advanced AI systems. OxAI promotes responsible innovation through talks and projects on topics such as fairness, transparency, and safety.

OxAI plays a role in increasing diversity in the field by running programmes that support underrepresented students. It connects them with mentors and gives them opportunities to build skills and confidence.
 

Through events like its annual Mini-Conference and AI Gala, OxAI brings attention to important issues in AI and builds strong links between universities, industry, and the global AI community.