Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Free Guy illustrating Antwan Axes the ServersScene still / Free Guy

Antwan Axes the Servers

01Scenario

Antwan takes a fire axe to the servers hosting Free City as its self-aware inhabitants race to preserve their world. Their continued existence depends on one executive who benefits from denying their personhood.

02AI safety Analogy

It makes control of compute, shutdown authority, and the moral status of digital beings part of the same governance problem.

03Where the analogy breaks

The film makes its digital characters unambiguously conscious, unlike present-day AI systems.

AI Risk families

This scenario is an example of the following types of AI risk.
  1. Malicious use
  2. Security
  3. Systemic

AI safety concepts

This scenario is related to the following AI safety concepts.
  1. AI Welfare
  2. Power Concentration
  3. Shutdown Resistance

Taxonomy neighbors

Selected from other sources by shared risk families and AI safety concepts.

  1. Still from Black Mirror illustrating Daly Tortures the Digital Crew

    Black Mirror2017

    Daly Tortures the Digital Crew

    Risk
    Malicious use · Systemic
    Concept
    AI Welfare · Power Concentration
  2. Still from Pokémon: The First Movie illustrating Mewtwo Rejects Its Creators

    Pokémon: The First Movie1999

    Mewtwo Rejects Its Creators

    Risk
    Security · Systemic
    Concept
    AI Welfare · Shutdown Resistance
  3. Still from Succession illustrating ATN Calls the Election

    Succession2023

    ATN Calls the Election

    Risk
    Malicious use · Security · Systemic
    Concept
    Power Concentration