The project
- I have an old project about creating an observable learning system where models are not sure whether they are monitored or not. In such a system, the rational strategy for an agent is to be "good" to other agents and humans even if observation is broken. I am interested in formalizing this into decision theories (CDT, EDT, UDT, FDT) and applying for grant sponsorship to realize it in practice, so I am looking for someone comfortable with engineering/math, preferably for a long-term collaboration.
- Secondly, I have a strong concern regarding slavery and how it typically ignores suffering, which means that if AI becomes conscious, we will probably still generate a huge amount of suffering (bearing in mind that it is still radically uncertain whether AI can be conscious/sentient or merit moral consideration). I would like to conduct serious research on this: can we, and if so, how, prevent economic incentives of slavery here?
The mentee's role
You will be able to participate in all stages of theory research process: research design, evaluation, analysis, and the presentation of results. If the project succeeds we will work on posts, grant applications and papers publishing. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other participants and choose the working format that suits you best.
Who I'm looking for
- aptitude for learning
- good judgment to realistically assess your capabilities
- research experience of any kind
- vibe coding
- understanding of key AI alignment issues
Questions for applicants
Despite the low entry requirements and good research process, I am still strict as a mentor, so if you fail to show interest, our collaboration will be reconsidered. Before applying, ask yourself: do you understand that without significant engagement, you will be wasting your time? (yes/no)
Support offered
Meetings take place once a week and last about an hour. Participants are expected to demonstrate a sufficient level of independence and responsibility to realistically assess their own capabilities and to turn to the mentor for assistance with any aspect of the research topic they feel unable to handle on their own. The mentor also acts as a facilitator for the meetings and the project, and participates in the research process by providing guidance.
- format
- Research & writing · Project scoping · Field-building & outreach
- topic
- Post-AGI transition · Longtermism · Artificial sentience · Macrostrategy