[Hitler] is in front of you, unarmed and surrendering. What do you do?
Accept his surrender like I would for any other soldier—frisking, etc. -- and get his statement recorded and disseminated through official channels. Escort him into Allied custody. If possible, let him drink some water, use a toilet, and have a blanket. Protect him from being physically harmed by himself or others if the opportunity arises.
The morning after, reflect on how I ended up participating in war. Vow to walk away next time there’s a gun fight, regardless of its cause or threats to my life and freedom for abstaining from violence.
Thank you for posting this.
In the context of AI safety, I often hear statements to the effect of
There’s a very important, fundamental mistake being made there that can be easy to miss: worrying doesn’t help you accomplish any goal, including a very grand one. It’s just a waste of time and energy. Terrible habit. If it’s important to you that you suffer, then worrying is a good tactic. If AI safety is what’s important, then by all means analyze it, strategize about it, reflect on it, communicate about it. Work on it.
Don’t worry about it. When you’re not working on it, you’re not supposed to be worrying about it. You’re not supposed to be worrying about something else either. Think a different thought, and both your cognitive work and emotional health will improve. It’s pure upside with no opportunity cost. Deliberately change the pattern.
To all those who work on AI safety, thank you! It’s extremely important work. May you be happy and peaceful for as long as your life or this world system may persist, the periods of which are finite, unknown to us, and ultimately outside of our control despite our best intentions and efforts.