Jüri Vlassov

“Make humanity flourish with AI, not perish.” That is the mission Jüri Vlassov pursues as Friendly AI Lead at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences where he builds up Estonia’s first dedicated AI safety center. The center advances AI safety research, situational awareness, and international cooperation from a security sciences perspective.

Behind that mission sits more than two decades in national security experience, latest in the Estonian Ministry of the Interior, where Jüri advised on national security policy, drafted legislation, and led counterterrorism strategy.

As a 2024–2025 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at Maxwell School in Syracuse University, he focused on the intersection of emerging technologies and national security, and has since published on AI geopolitics. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Tartu and lectures in multiple languages.

His honest take on the road ahead is direct: no one can promise we will keep superintelligence under control, for that AI safety is one of the most important field a person can choose to work in, study, practice, learn, and teach.

For students, interns, and early-career professionals entering an AI-shaped world, that may be the most useful career frame on offer.