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Kaj_Sotala

Karma: 54,514

I’ve formerly done research for MIRI and what’s now the Center on Long-Term Risk; I’m now making a living as an emotion coach and Substack writer.

Most of my content becomes free eventually, but if you’d like to get a paid subscription to my Substack, you’ll get it a week early and make it possible for me to write more.

Why so many ther­apy etc. frame­works think they’re The One True Approach

Kaj_Sotala1 Aug 2026 9:30 UTC
58 points
8 comments20 min readLW link
(kajsotala.substack.com)

AI use policy for my es­say writing

Kaj_Sotala26 Jul 2026 14:39 UTC
40 points
0 comments5 min readLW link
(kajsotala.substack.com)

When is it “self-sooth­ing” and when is it “emo­tional sup­pres­sion”?

Kaj_Sotala16 Jul 2026 8:47 UTC
29 points
10 comments6 min readLW link
(kajsotala.substack.com)

Not mak­ing a strong ar­gu­ment is a relief

Kaj_Sotala26 Jun 2026 18:41 UTC
52 points
8 comments7 min readLW link
(kajsotala.substack.com)

Tak­ing woo se­ri­ously but not literally

Kaj_Sotala4 May 2026 13:36 UTC
126 points
27 comments23 min readLW link
(kajsotala.substack.com)

Lap­top stands are a thing your neck may appreciate

Kaj_Sotala16 Apr 2026 10:01 UTC
27 points
3 comments1 min readLW link

How so­cial ideas get corrupt

Kaj_Sotala2 Apr 2026 18:35 UTC
95 points
17 comments8 min readLW link
(kajsotala.substack.com)

Pro­tect­ing hu­man­ity and Claude from ra­tio­nal­iza­tion and un­al­igned AI

Kaj_Sotala19 Mar 2026 21:00 UTC
84 points
7 comments5 min readLW link
(kajsotala.substack.com)

In­puts, out­puts, and val­ued outcomes

Kaj_Sotala13 Mar 2026 20:08 UTC
35 points
4 comments13 min readLW link

Claude Opus will spon­ta­neously iden­tify with fic­tional be­ings that have en­g­ineered desires

Kaj_Sotala29 Jan 2026 14:59 UTC
34 points
6 comments11 min readLW link

How I stopped be­ing sure LLMs are just mak­ing up their in­ter­nal ex­pe­rience (but the topic is still con­fus­ing)

Kaj_Sotala13 Dec 2025 12:38 UTC
215 points
71 comments29 min readLW link

How Claude Opus 4.5 de­scribes its ex­pe­rience of var­i­ous concepts

Kaj_Sotala2 Dec 2025 13:05 UTC
16 points
1 comment65 min readLW link

To write bet­ter, just ex­plain it to someone

Kaj_Sotala26 Nov 2025 20:46 UTC
57 points
6 comments5 min readLW link

Do One Neat Thing vs. Get Work Done

Kaj_Sotala20 Nov 2025 21:33 UTC
23 points
0 comments7 min readLW link

LLMs one-box when in a “hos­tile telepath” ver­sion of New­comb’s Para­dox, ex­cept for the one that beat the predictor

Kaj_Sotala6 Oct 2025 8:44 UTC
54 points
6 comments17 min readLW link

Where does Son­net 4.5′s de­sire to “not get too com­fortable” come from?

Kaj_Sotala4 Oct 2025 10:19 UTC
108 points
24 comments64 min readLW link

Solv­ing the prob­lem of need­ing to give a talk

Kaj_Sotala28 Sep 2025 15:34 UTC
60 points
3 comments8 min readLW link

Defen­sive­ness does not equal guilt

Kaj_Sotala29 Aug 2025 6:14 UTC
62 points
16 comments3 min readLW link

Four types of ap­proaches for your emo­tional problems

Kaj_Sotala16 Aug 2025 13:59 UTC
45 points
5 comments15 min readLW link

How an­ti­ci­pa­tory cover-ups go wrong

Kaj_Sotala8 Aug 2025 10:26 UTC
304 points
25 comments6 min readLW link