Summary of Brian Christian’s The Alignment Problem

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As machine-learning systems grow not only more prevalent, but also more powerful, humans want to ensure that they understand us and do what we want, eliminating the possibility of catastrophic divergence. In the field of computer science, this question is known as the alignment problem.

In The Alignment Problem (2020), Brian Christian raises questions of safety and ethics in a world where humans are turning into machines and machines are turning into humans. He discusses tools that, through imitation, curiosity, inference, and shaping, exhibit human skills without being programmed to do so. The future of machine learning holds risks, but also great promise.