Also—can be good to tell contractors up front that you’re planning to get 2-3 quotes on whatever job it is. That way they’re less likely to pull something crazy if they know that you’re shopping around a bit
LHA
Karma: 3
[Question] What are the best “policy” approaches in worlds where alignment is difficult?
just noting that the hyperlink for “nowcasting” is broken
On 3.
You say:
This seems pretty plausible to me, and makes me think that people probably shouldn’t be too worried about trying to do “diverse” approaches just for the sake of trying them.
In an interview with John Wentworth from AXRP, he suggests that convergence in research directions may generally be viewed as a positive sign.
If a bunch of researchers have really ended up on somewhat similar research agendas because they each find these approaches the most promising, I think I feel better about them all sticking with their similar approaches than I would about them trying to go for more diverse approaches simply to “change things up” or “diversify our bets.”
On 4.
What are your thoughts on programs like AGISF and SERI MATS that allow people to learn about alignment research and try out their fit for it in a more structured environment? Do you think people should generally be scaling programs like this up further, or trying something pretty different?
Also, you say:
My impression was that many funders may be somewhat willing to give grants (especially relatively small ones) to people who haven’t spent a ton of time learning about alignment already and who have relatively little in the way of existing “accomplishments,” to try their hand at alignment work. Have you personally gotten to apply for funding to work on alignment full-time yet?