Andrew Critch on AI Research Considerations for Human Existential Safety

In this episode of the AI Alignment Podcast, Andrew Critch joins us to discuss a recent paper he co-authored with David Krueger titled AI Research Considerations for Human Existential Safety. We explore a wide range of issues, from how the mainstream computer science community views AI existential risk, to the need for more accurate terminology in the field of AI existential safety and the risks of what Andrew calls prepotent AI systems. Crucially, we also discuss what Andrew sees as being the most likely source of existential risk: the possibility of externalities from multiple AIs and AI stakeholders competing in a context where alignment and AI existential safety issues are not naturally covered by industry incentives.  Topics discussed in this episode include: - The mainstream computer science view of AI existential risk - Distinguishing AI safety from AI existential safety  - The need for more precise terminology in the field of AI existential safety and alignment - The concept of prepotent AI systems and the problem of delegation  - Which alignment problems get solved by commercial incentives and which don’t - The threat of diffusion of responsibility on AI existential safety considerations not covered by commercial incentives - Prepotent AI risk types that lead to unsurvivability for humanity You can find the page for this podcast here: Timestamps:  0:00 Intro 2:53 Why Andrew wrote ARCHES and what it’s about 6:46 The perspective on the main CS community on AI existential risk 13:03 ARCHES in relation to AI existential risk literature 16:05 The distinction between safety and existential safety  24:27 Existential risk is most likely to obtain through externalities  29:03 The relationship between existential safety and safety for current systems  33:17 Research areas that will not have natural incentives for solving  51:40 What’s an AI system and an AI technology?  53:42 Prepotent AI  59:41 Misaligned prepotent AI technology  01:05:13 Human frailty  01:07:37 The importance of delegation  01:14:11 Single-single, single-multi, multi-single, and multi-multi  01:15:26 Control, instruction, and comprehension  01:20:40 The multiplicity thesis  01:22:16 Risk types from prepotent AI that lead to human unsurvivability  01:34:06 Flow-through effects  01:41:00 Multi-stakeholder objectives  01:49:08 Final words from Andrew This podcast is possible because of the support of listeners like you. If you found this conversation to be meaningful or valuable, consider supporting it directly by donating at futureoflife.org/donate. Contributions like yours make these conversations possible.