“The Alignment Problem does bring out the human being’s unique aspect of emotional intelligence, an ability to read between the lines. “
One of the most difficult problems to address in Artificial Intelligence is what is known as the ‘Alignment Problem’.
Now, what is it?
We want to ensure our AI systems grasp the unspoken instructions or intentions of the user, and thus avoid literal or even narrow interpretations. That is to say, the challenge is to get efficient work out of AI to align with our values and ethical standards and make sure it actually ‘works for us’.
Let me try to explain it. Imagine a hypothetical scenario, an AI system is used to scourge its knowledge bases, do its calculations, and find a solution to reduce the number of cancer patients. We expect it to find a cure and then reduce the number of cancer patients, right?
After some time we see the falling number of cancer patients and we are elated. But that’s when we notice, the human population is wiped out. AI found an efficient solution to cancer, if no humans then no cancer cases. Brilliant, right!
That brings us to the Value Alignment problem. AI does not align with the values that we humans have.
Let me paint you a real-life scenario, a team at MIT had tasked a series of AIs to copy a large file as precisely as possible. Some of the AIs were bad at it, while some were good, there was one AI that had perfect scores. Further analyzed, the team found that the AI deleted the original file and produced a blank document. The AI was technically correct but that was just not right!
The Alignment Problem does bring out the human being’s unique aspect of emotional intelligence, an ability to read between the lines. When we engage in conversations we follow a set of assumed rules. We need to make the AI think like us.
As we push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI, we must remain vigilant and proactive in addressing these ethical and practical challenges. By doing so, we can harness the full potential of AI to drive innovation and positive change, while safeguarding the principles that matter most to us.
Let’s continue this important conversation and work together to shape an AI-driven future that benefits everyone.
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