AI Policy Leaders Programme

The rules for AI are being written right now. Will you be in the room?

The next few years are pivotal for how advanced artificial intelligence will be developed and governed, and whether Europe will be a live actor in shaping that future. This rapidly evolving landscape requires a diverse and experienced pool of people who can build meaningful European influence over AI governance and ensure advanced AI development remains safe and aligned with human values.

The Talos Network Policy Leaders Programme is built for people who have spent years building expertise, credibility, and networks, and who are ready to bring that experience to bear on the defining policy challenge of our time.

Your career has been building to this moment

The programme puts experienced professionals directly in the rooms where important decisions are shaped, working with actors across European institutions, governments, industry, and civil society to strengthen the governance of advanced AI.

You might be a good fit for the programme if:

  • You have at least 8 years of experience in high-stakes environments (government, international organisations, think tanks, industry, or academia) and a strong track record of influencing or interacting with senior decision-makers

  • You're either looking to transition into AI governance, or to bring a stronger AI dimension into your existing work

  • You have relevant experience in government or safety-critical sectors and are motivated to apply it to the most pressing AI governance and safety challenges in Europe

  • You're a self-starter who thrives with autonomy, has a history of creating tangible impact, and is adaptive in the face of uncertainty

  • You're realistic about the challenges of AI governance, but fundamentally motivated by the opportunity to help steer it well

  • “I jokingly said to other fellows that Talos has cared more about my career trajectory and success than many of my previous professors, bosses and parents. I am leaving this programme with a newly re-gained sense of self-efficacy, self-confidence, and support to make the next steps in my career.”

    Spring 2026 Policy Leader Fellow

Two tracks, one programme

This programme is structured to help you leverage everything you’ve already built in your career to date.

A central focus of the programme is helping you leverage your existing network, and strengthen your European AI policy network. Every fellow will leave with strategic clarity and a well-defined career plan with concrete and actionable next steps.

Virtual European AI Policy Bootcamp

  • 10 September - 22 October 2026

  • Weekly calls every Thursday, 17:00-19:00 CET

  • Approximately 10 hours per week

  • Designed to be completed alongside a full-time job

During the bootcamp, fellows split their time between self-directed work (with tailored support and accountability from the Talos team) and a structured programme of teaching, Q&As with key actors in European AI governance and small-group discussions. 

Programme Structure

Week-long Policymaking Summit

  • 3 October - 9 October 2026

  • A full-time, fully-reimbursed 6-day summit in Brussels, held mid-bootcamp

  • Prominent guest speakers, workshops, and networking events

The Summit is consistently rated the highest-value element of the programme. It is where abstract knowledge becomes tangible, relationships formed online become real, and fellows participate in closed-door sessions with senior figures across EU institutions, think tanks, and industry.

Paid placement (placement track only)

  • A 12-month paid placement at a relevant AI-focused organisation

  • Base compensation of EUR 5,000/month for Brussels-based placements, adjusted for cost of living in other cities

The placement is the structural mechanism that makes a mid-career transition into AI governance achievable. Programme leads work closely with each fellow to identify the right host organisation, broker the relationship, and provide ongoing support throughout the placement year.

What else this programme offers

  • A wide range of tailored financial support depending on your needs, e.g. funding for coworking space memberships, conference attendance, career transition funding, and much more

  • Intensive 1-1 mentoring and career coaching throughout, from programme leads with deep networks and fluency in European AI governance

  • Access to the wider Talos Network, including alumni from previous cohorts who provide inside knowledge of organisations, roles, and the ecosystem

  • A curated cohort of senior peers from across government, research, industry, and international institutions 

  • Post-programme touch-points and ongoing access to the Talos network

What fellows leave with

The programme is designed to produce four concrete changes:

  • Access to senior policy networks.Fellows enter the programme with limited access to the European AI governance ecosystem and leave embedded in it, with trusted relationships across EU institutions, think tanks, government, and industry that open doors, provide insider intelligence, and lend credibility in conversations that would otherwise be inaccessible.

  • Strategic positioning and role clarity.Through dense one-to-one mentoring and immersive peer exchange, fellows develop a sharper view of where their existing expertise can be most effectively deployed, and leave with a concrete plan for their next steps.

  • Knowledge and field literacy.Fellows don't just leave as AI experts - they leave knowing how to navigate the field of expertise: who the key actors are, how decisions get made, and where the most important work is happening.

  • Confidence, legitimacy and professional identity.A felt sense of belonging in the field, the relational confidence to approach senior figures, and the decisional confidence to act on a transition that previously felt too risky.