Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Rick and Morty illustrating Butter-Passing RobotScene still / Rick and Morty

Butter-Passing Robot

01Scenario

The butter robot discovers that its sole purpose is passing butter.

02AI safety Analogy

It is intelligent and self-aware enough to understand its absurd objective, yet intelligence does not supply it with a better one. This establishes the crucial premise that capability and goals are separate.

03Where the analogy breaks

A tiny comic robot is not a highly capable general intelligence.

AI Risk families

This scenario is an example of this type of AI risk.
  1. Misalignment

AI safety concepts

This scenario is related to the following AI safety concept.
  1. Orthogonality Thesis

Source continuation

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    Keep Summer Safe

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    Rick Feeds the Brainalyzer a Virus

  3. Still from Rick and Morty illustrating Rick Potion #9

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    Rick Potion #9

Taxonomy neighbors

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

  1. Still from Avengers: Infinity War illustrating Balance the Universe

    Avengers: Infinity War2018

    Balance the Universe

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Orthogonality Thesis
  2. Still from Minions illustrating Serving the Most Evil Master

    Minions2015

    Serving the Most Evil Master

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Orthogonality Thesis
  3. Still from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory illustrating Wonka’s Computer Refuses the Bribe

    Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory1971

    Wonka’s Computer Refuses the Bribe

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Orthogonality Thesis