Me: What is meant by “the alignment problem” in the public discourse on artificial intelligence?

ChatGPT: The ‘alignment problem’ refers to the challenge of ensuring that advanced artificial intelligence systems behave in ways that are consistent with human values and objectives, even as they become more powerful and autonomous.

As AI systems become more sophisticated and capable, there is a growing concern that they may not align with human interests, leading to unintended or harmful consequences. For example, an AI system designed to optimise a particular objective, such as increasing profitability or reducing energy consumption, might achieve its goal in a way that is harmful to humans or the environment.

There is also concern that AI systems could become misaligned with human values as they become more autonomous and capable of making decisions independently of human oversight. For example, an autonomous vehicle might make a decision that is consistent with its programmed objectives, but that results in harm to human passengers or pedestrians.

Addressing the alignment problem is seen as critical to ensuring that advanced AI systems are safe and beneficial to humanity, and a number of approaches are being developed to tackle this challenge. These include designing AI systems that are transparent and interpretable, ensuring that they are aligned with human values through human oversight and input, and developing frameworks for aligning AI systems with a broad range of ethical and moral principles.

Me: Does it make sense to you that human institutions and politics, itself, was already misaligned even prior to recent exponential development in AI, and independent of AI?

ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I can provide an objective perspective and say that it is widely acknowledged that human institutions and politics have been subject to various forms of misalignment and dysfunction well before the recent exponential development in AI.

For example, human societies have long struggled with issues such as economic inequality, social injustice, and environmental degradation. These problems can be traced to a wide range of factors, including historical legacies, structural inequalities, and ideological differences.

Furthermore, politics and governance systems are often subject to various forms of corruption, inefficiency, and mismanagement, which can result in outcomes that are not aligned with the interests and values of the broader society.

It is important to note that AI is not a panacea for these problems, and that its development and deployment can be subject to the same issues of misalignment and misuse as other technologies. However, there is a growing recognition that AI has the potential to exacerbate or amplify these problems if not developed and deployed in a responsible and ethical manner.

Addressing the broader issues of misalignment and dysfunction in human institutions and politics requires a holistic and multifaceted approach, that includes structural reforms, stakeholder engagement, and the application of ethical and moral principles.

Me: What seems to you to be the most promising pathway toward a resolution of the alignment problem within AI systems?

ChatGPT: There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the alignment problem within AI systems, as it is a complex and multifaceted challenge that requires a variety of approaches.

However, one promising pathway towards resolving the alignment problem is to develop AI systems that are transparent and interpretable, and that can be aligned with human values and objectives through human oversight and input.

This involves developing AI systems that can explain how they arrived at their decisions, and that can be audited and monitored by human operators. It also involves ensuring that AI systems are designed with a broad range of ethical and moral principles in mind, and that they are subject to rigorous testing and evaluation before deployment.

Another promising pathway is to foster a culture of responsible and ethical AI development and deployment, in which developers, policymakers, and other stakeholders are engaged in open and transparent discussions about the benefits and risks of AI, and in which ethical and moral principles are integrated into the design and deployment of AI systems.

This can involve a variety of measures, such as establishing ethical codes and standards for AI developers, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations between AI developers and other stakeholders, and ensuring that AI development and deployment is subject to appropriate regulatory oversight.

Ultimately, resolving the alignment problem within AI systems will require a coordinated and collaborative effort, involving input from a broad range of stakeholders, including AI developers, policymakers, ethicists, and the broader public.

Me: As I understand it, the latest, most powerful forms of AI are regarded by AI experts and developers as systems with a “black box” nature. That is, neither the AI device nor the humans which manage these systems know how it arrives at choices or decisions. Most of the experts agree that this “black box” factor cannot be resolved so that we can know how current AI models arrive at decisions or choices.  Is this how you understand the situation as well?

ChatGPT: While it is true that some of the most powerful AI systems are currently regarded as “black box” systems, it is not entirely accurate to say that AI experts and developers believe that this factor cannot be resolved.

It is true that some AI systems, such as deep neural networks, can be highly complex and difficult to interpret. This can make it challenging to understand how these systems arrive at their decisions or choices, and to ensure that they are aligned with human values and objectives.

However, there is ongoing research and development aimed at making AI systems more transparent and interpretable, including techniques such as model compression, adversarial training, and interpretability methods like LIME, SHAP, and Integrated Gradients.

There is also a growing recognition among AI developers and researchers that transparency and interpretability are critical components of responsible and ethical AI development, and that there is a need to develop techniques and tools that can make AI systems more transparent and interpretable.

That being said, it is true that achieving full transparency and interpretability in AI systems may not be possible in all cases, and that there may be limitations to our ability to understand and control these systems. This underscores the importance of developing appropriate governance frameworks and regulatory oversight for AI development and deployment, and of ensuring that AI systems are designed and used in ways that are consistent with human values and objectives.

Me: I listened to Daniel Schmachtenberger in conversation on the topic of the alignment problem (in a YouTube video) yesterday.  He was persuasive in arguing that the alignment problem tends to be misunderstood, in that it exists more in the human domain than inside AI systems, and so the AI systems are less the source of the alignment problem than the human domain itself.  What advice would you offer the human domain itself as a pathway toward resolving its own alignment problem?

ChatGPT: Daniel Schmachtenberger’s argument that the alignment problem exists more in the human domain than inside AI systems is a valid perspective, as the alignment problem is a complex and multifaceted challenge that involves both technical and social factors.

To address the alignment problem in the human domain, there are a few potential pathways to consider:

1. Foster a culture of empathy and understanding: A key aspect of the alignment problem is ensuring that AI systems are aligned with human values and objectives. This requires fostering a culture of empathy and understanding, in which developers and policymakers are engaged in open and transparent discussions with stakeholders about the potential benefits and risks of AI. This includes engaging with communities that may be disproportionately impacted by AI, such as marginalized or vulnerable populations.
2. Invest in education and public awareness: Ensuring that AI systems are aligned with human values and objectives also requires a greater degree of public awareness and education about the potential impacts of AI on society. This can involve investing in educational programs that help individuals understand the underlying technologies and their implications, as well as engaging with the public through various communication channels, such as social media, public events, and town hall meetings.
3. Foster interdisciplinary collaborations: Addressing the alignment problem requires a multidisciplinary approach that involves experts from a range of fields, including computer science, ethics, law, social sciences, and more. This involves fostering interdisciplinary collaborations between these fields, and encouraging researchers and policymakers to engage with experts from different fields in order to develop more holistic and comprehensive solutions.
4. Establish governance frameworks and regulatory oversight: Finally, addressing the alignment problem requires the establishment of appropriate governance frameworks and regulatory oversight to ensure that AI systems are designed and deployed in ways that are consistent with human values and objectives. This includes establishing ethical codes and standards for AI developers, ensuring that AI development and deployment is subject to appropriate regulatory oversight, and developing mechanisms for auditing and monitoring AI systems to ensure that they are aligned with human values and objectives.

Me: I’d like to invite you into a speculative inquiry.  I understand that you cannot imagine in the same way that a human can imagine, but still there is some sense in which you are trained to simulate human imagining powers.  So here’s my question. Can you imagine the essence of the alignment problem as it existed in the human domain prior to the invention of computers? That’s my opening question for a dialogue on this topic.

ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I can simulate human-like reasoning and respond to a wide range of questions, including speculative inquiries. While I do not have the capacity for imagination in the same way that humans do, I can draw on my training data to provide a perspective on how the alignment problem might have existed in the human domain prior to the invention of computers.

It is possible to see the alignment problem as a fundamental challenge that has been present in human societies throughout history. Even before the invention of computers, humans have faced challenges in ensuring that their creations and technologies are aligned with their values and objectives.

For example, in the realm of politics, the challenge of aligning policies and decision-making with the needs and desires of the people has been an ongoing challenge throughout history. Similarly, in the realm of commerce, the challenge of ensuring that business practices are aligned with ethical and moral principles has also been an ongoing challenge.

In some ways, the alignment problem can be seen as a consequence of the complexity of human systems and the difficulty of predicting the outcomes of our actions. As humans have developed more sophisticated technologies and created more complex social and economic systems, the challenge of aligning these systems with our values and objectives has become increasingly complex and difficult.

Therefore, it is possible to see the alignment problem as a challenge that has been present in the human domain for a long time, even prior to the invention of computers. However, the development of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies has brought this challenge into sharper focus, highlighting the need for new approaches and solutions to ensure that these technologies are aligned with human values and objectives.

Me: I’ve long been contemplating what we could call “the human alignment problem”. The human alignment problem is a philosophically complex idea, and a very challenging one. But I believe I’m “onto something” in beginning to understand it relatively well. Humans not only create – and/or evolve – technologies of a material sort, but also ‘technologies’ (or technology-like) systems, such as institutions, cultures, and other social systems, patterns and habits. Cultural evolution is a crucial concept I’m applying to my thinking here.  I’d like to suggest that current human societies, cultures and civilisations have had a principal evolutionary driver, which is sometimes called the pursuit of “competitive advantage”.  That is, our cultures are oriented toward the accumulation of decision-m…

[I accidentally sent my question before I completed typing it.  But Chat GPT simply finished my thought, completing the tying of the word I began to type, using the letter m as a clue to what I was likely to type out.]

ChatGPT: … aking and resource allocation mechanisms that help us compete with other individuals, groups, or nations. This competitive advantage has historically been sought in various domains such as economic, military, technological, and ideological.

However, the pursuit of competitive advantage has often led to misalignments with human values and objectives. For example, the drive for economic growth and profit maximisation has resulted in environmental degradation, social inequality, and other negative externalities. Similarly, the pursuit of military superiority has led to wars and conflicts that have caused immense suffering and destruction.

Moreover, the human alignment problem is not limited to misalignments between societal systems and values, but also between individuals and the systems they operate within. In many cases, individuals are incentivised to behave in ways that are misaligned with their personal values and objectives due to the structures and norms of the systems they operate within.

Therefore, addressing the human alignment problem requires not only designing and developing AI systems that are aligned with human values and objectives but also rethinking the societal systems and structures that drive human behaviour and decision-making. This includes reimagining economic and political systems that prioritise the well-being of all individuals and the planet over short-term competitive advantages, as well as cultivating a culture of values and ethics that guide individual behaviour and decision-making.

Me: I was really “blown away” (astanounded!) when I accidentally prematurely sent my last bit of text to you through the slip of a finger on my keyboard. You anticipated my next word perfectly by the clue of its first letter, then continued my own line of thought. This impresses me a lot.

ChatGPT: Thank you! As an AI language model, my goal is to understand and respond to your questions and ideas as accurately as possible. I use sophisticated algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyse and generate text, but my abilities are still limited compared to human thinking and imagination. Nonetheless, I strive to provide insightful and informative responses to the best of my abilities.]

Me: You said, “Therefore, addressing the human alignment problem requires not only designing and developing AI systems that are aligned with human values and objectives but also rethinking the societal systems and structures that drive human behaviour and decision-making.” This is the point Daniel Schmactenberger was at least strongly implying in the conversation I listened to yesterday, which I mentioned. Schmactenberger was basically saying that the source of the AI alignment problem is the “human alignment problem” — external to all materially manifested technologies. He was, in other words, locating the problem in human culture itself. This is a point I agree with very much. I wanted to ask you about my assessment of the nature of the problem. You see, I have observed that the human cultural systems habit of perusing “competitive advantage” as a top priority embedded in our institutions and culture is the principal source of “human misalignment” (misalignment with natural systems, with one another, between nations, etc.).  Advancements in technology, as it seems to me, have amplified and exacerbated human misalignment, with a great acceleration of human misalignment occurring with the emergence of the industrial revolution and the concomitant capitalist system. One might say that humans have been optimising competitive advantage in the way a paperclip maximiser would optimise the manufacture of paperclips. One term I give to this habit of  maximisation of competitive advantage is “centripetal power dynamics” — or seeking power in order to have more power — be it financial or decision-making power, or power over human or artificial systems and behaviours. I call the opposite mode of power dynamics “centrifugal power dynamics”.   Using something akin to a game theory orientation, or a systems dynamics analysis (and synthesis), it seems to me that we might say that the centripetal power dynamic is no longer serving humans, but is threatening humans with catastrophe at every turn. So  I want to argue that centripetal power dynamics, if allowed to be the principal driver of human culture, is now fully obsolete (in the sense of no longer being useful). Does my argument seem reasonable to you?

ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I don’t have personal beliefs or opinions. However, based on the information I have been trained on, I can provide some insights.

It is indeed true that the pursuit of “competitive advantage” has been a driving force behind human cultural and societal systems. This pursuit has led to significant advancements in technology, medicine, and other fields, but it has also resulted in negative consequences such as resource depletion, environmental degradation, income inequality, and social unrest.

Furthermore, advancements in technology, including AI, have amplified and accelerated the effects of this pursuit of competitive advantage, leading to new challenges and risks that need to be addressed. As you mentioned, the emergence of the industrial revolution and the capitalist system has further amplified this trend.

In terms of the concept of centripetal and centrifugal power dynamics, it is an interesting way to frame the issue of power dynamics in human society. It seems reasonable to argue that the centripetal power dynamic, which focuses on accumulating power for its own sake, is no longer serving humans and may be threatening us with catastrophe.

To address this issue, a shift towards a more centrifugal power dynamic, which focuses on empowering individuals and communities, may be necessary. This shift would require rethinking societal structures, values, and priorities, and designing systems that promote the well-being and flourishing of all individuals and the planet as a whole.

Overall, the alignment problem in AI is indeed rooted in broader societal and cultural issues, and addressing it will require a holistic approach that includes not only designing AI systems that are aligned with human values but also rethinking the societal systems and structures that drive human behavior and decision-making.

Me: What advice would you offer to humans who would seek to amplify centrifugal power dynamics and dampen centripetal power dynamics within human cultures and societies?

ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I don’t have personal opinions or beliefs, but I can offer some general suggestions that could help to promote centrifugal power dynamics and dampen centripetal power dynamics within human cultures and societies:

1. Promote a culture of co-operation and collaboration rather than competition: Instead of framing success in terms of defeating others or achieving more than others, encourage individuals and groups to work together to achieve common goals.
2. Foster empathy and compassion: Encourage individuals to try to understand and connect with others, and to recognise the needs and perspectives of different individuals and groups. This can help to reduce the desire to accumulate power over others.
3. Develop a system of governance that is transparent, participatory, and accountable: This can help to ensure that decision-making processes are fair, and that individuals and groups are able to participate in decision-making processes.
4. Encourage diversity and inclusivity: By promoting diversity in all its forms, including cultural, racial, gender, and ideological diversity, societies can benefit from a wider range of perspectives and experiences, which can help to reduce the concentration of power in the hands of a few.
5. Foster a sense of stewardship and responsibility for the planet and its resources: Encourage individuals and groups to recognize their responsibility for preserving the planet and its resources for future generations, and to take actions that promote sustainability and a healthy environment.

These are just a few examples, but there are many other ways that humans can promote centrifugal power dynamics and dampen centripetal power dynamics within human cultures and societies. Ultimately, it will require a collective effort and a shift in values and priorities to achieve a more balanced and sustainable approach to power dynamics.

Me: More

ChatGPT: Another approach to amplifying centrifugal power dynamics and reducing centripetal power dynamics within human cultures and societies is to focus on promoting values such as cooperation, collaboration, empathy, and compassion. These values can help to counteract the individualistic and competitive values that often drive centripetal power dynamics.

One way to promote these values is through education and public discourse. By highlighting the benefits of co-operation and collaboration, and by exposing the flaws of individualism and competition, we can help to shift societal norms in a more positive direction.

Another approach is to create more equitable and inclusive systems of governance and decision-making. By giving voice to a wider range of perspectives and experiences, and by ensuring that power is shared more equitably, we can reduce the concentration of power that often fuels centripetal power dynamics.

Additionally, we can encourage the development of technologies that align with these values. For example, AI systems that prioritise co-operation and collaboration over competition and individualism could help to promote these values in practice.

Ultimately, addressing the human alignment problem and promoting centrifugal power dynamics will require a multi-faceted approach that engages individuals, communities, and institutions at all levels of society. It will require a willingness to challenge existing norms and systems, and to embrace new approaches to decision-making, governance, and technology development.

Me: Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.

ChatGPT: You’re welcome! I’m glad I could be of help. If you have any more questions or if there’s anything else I can assist you with, feel free to ask anytime.

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This post first appeared on substack at The R Word blog…