About the Role at Mpalo (4 Positions Available)

As an AI Researcher at Mpalo, you will be at the forefront of our mission to imbue AI with true human-like episodic memory. You will work on our proprietary Palo models, pushing the boundaries of efficient attention mechanisms, encoder-decoder architectures, and novel memory traversal and mapping techniques. This role is pivotal in evolving our core technology and contributing to foundational research that aligns with our long-term ambitions in AI consciousness and robotics. You will be part of a collaborative, remote-first team that values deep thinking, ethical considerations, and intellectual curiosity.

We are seeking four initial researchers to form the core of our R&D team. You will have significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape the direction of our research from the ground up.

What You'll Do:

• Design, develop, and train advanced AI models (primarily our Palo line) focusing on persistent memory, contextual understanding, and efficient learning.
• Research and implement novel techniques for memory storage, retrieval, traversal, and mapping in neural networks.
• Contribute to the theoretical underpinnings of our models, drawing inspiration from cognitive science, neuroscience, and philosophy where relevant.
• Collaborate with the founder and future team members on research strategy, model architecture, and experimental design.
• Analyze model performance, iterate on designs, and contribute to the deployment of research into production-ready systems.
• Stay abreast of cutting-edge research in AI, machine learning, NLP, and related fields, bringing new insights and ideas to the team.
• Document research findings, model specifications, and experimental results clearly and comprehensively.
• Uphold Mpalo's strong ethical principles in all research and development activities.

What We're Looking For:

What Mpalo Offers You:

• Competitive Salary: We offer a highly competitive salary package, commensurate with experience and benchmarked against industry standards for AI research roles in Germany and remote positions. (Specifics to be discussed during the interview process).
• Groundbreaking Coworker Share Program: Become a true stakeholder in our collective success. 20% of Mpalo's company resources are collectively dedicated to all coworkers, encompassing:
  • 15% for Coworker Shares: A significant portion of company revenue is allocated to a share program, distributed equally amongst all coworkers, making everyone a direct financial stakeholder in Mpalo's long-term success and growth.
  • 5% Collective Coworker Budget: This portion forms a dynamic, collective budget managed by coworkers. The history of purchases will be transparent to all. Larger purchases will require consensus, and all expenditures are reviewed by a validation team. Initially, while Mpalo operates on a remote-first model and focuses on foundational development, these funds will be strategically reinvested into critical research resources, tools, and shared learning opportunities that benefit the entire team. Once a physical headquarters is established, this budget will transition to empower coworkers to collaboratively shape their physical work environment—funding team room personalizations, shared office amenities, well-being initiatives, and other collective enhancements that foster a vibrant and productive Mpalo home.
• Unparalleled Well-being Support: We genuinely care. If you feel burnt out or need a creative recharge, Mpalo will support you with paid time off and resources for personal pursuits, expeditions, or creative endeavors.
• Remote-First & Flexible: Work from wherever you are most productive and creative. We trust you to manage your time and contributions.
• Impact & Autonomy: Play a foundational role in a pre-launch AI venture with the freedom to explore bold ideas and shape our research direction.
• A Culture of Deep Inquiry: Join a team that values intellectual rigor, philosophical exploration, and ethical responsibility as much as technical excellence.
• Generous Learning & Development Opportunities: Access to resources, courses, and conferences to foster your continued growth.

To Help Us Understand You Better:

Beyond your CV and a cover letter detailing your research experience and interests, please include thoughtful responses (approx. 250-500 words each) to the following questions in your application. We are as interested in your thought process and values as we are in your technical skills.

1. AI & Ethics: What are your thoughts on the current trajectory of AI development, and what ethical considerations do you believe are most paramount for a company like Mpalo, which aims for human-like episodic memory and has long-term ambitions in AI consciousness?
2. Curiosity & Problem Solving: Describe a complex problem (technical or philosophical) that has captivated your curiosity. How did your approach to understanding and potentially solving it reflect your appreciation for deeper inquiry and perhaps even the interconnectedness of different fields of knowledge?
3. Consciousness & AI: Mpalo's founder is deeply interested in the philosophical and scientific questions surrounding consciousness. What are some of your personal curiosities, perspectives, or hypotheses about the nature of consciousness? How do you envision AI research (particularly in areas like memory and agency) potentially contributing to (or perhaps complicating) our understanding of it?
4. The Role of Memory: From your perspective, what is the fundamental importance of episodic memory for intelligence (human or artificial)? How might advanced AI memory systems, like those Mpalo aims to build, reshape human-AI interaction and collaboration in the future?

Please compile your CV, cover letter, and responses to these questions into a single PDF document.