Location (during time of takeover)
School/Institution
| Undergrad | Ateneo de Manila University Applied Mathematics |
|---|---|
| Masters | Ateneo de Manila University Data Science |
| MPhil | University of Cambridge Advanced Computer Science |
Featured on March 22, 2026
With the world’s collective eye on AI, this week’s Pinoy Scientist David Africa is doing his part to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence systems.
David is a research scientist on the alignment team at the UK AI Security Institute which aims to build the world’s leading understanding of advanced AI risks and solutions, and to inform governments so they can keep the public safe. There, he studies the technical problem of preventing AI systems from carrying out actions that pose risks to our collective security.
In 2024, David graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Applied Mathematics, a Master’s in Data Science, and minors in Economics and Urban and Regional Development. Just last year, he graduated with distinction from an MPhil in Advanced Computer Science at the University of Cambridge, where he worked on shaping pretraining data of large language models to improve their behavioural propensities and inoculate fine-tuning data against unintended (and harmful) generalization.
Currently, David’s work includes exploring emerging risks such as steganographic capabilities in AI systems, inter-agent influences, and various ways our evaluations might become unreliable or confounded by the very AI systems we are evaluating. By working on this, he hopes to improve the safety and trustworthiness of one of the defining technologies of our era.
Some fun facts about David:
- He was the world debate champion in 2023
- As someone based in London (specifically West End), he gets to watch a lot of plays and musicals (such as Hamilton, Rachel Ziegler’s run of Evita, Hadestown, etc.) He also loves visiting galleries such as the Tate Modern and Southbank Center, and loves trying new food!
- He loves climbing and goes bouldering in various gyms in London and in the PH. He can now climb around V5 to V6, and has lost 60 pounds since switching from running to climbing! He also often goes climbing after work, so he ends up climbing in a button down and slacks…
