Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Megamind illustrating Hal Gets the PowersScene still / Megamind

Hal Gets the Powers

01Scenario

Megamind’s Metro Man power serum accidentally hits Hal. Megamind gives him a hero name and a short training montage, but Hal uses overwhelming capability to threaten Roxanne and dominate the city.

02AI safety Analogy

Capability transfer and role-playing are treated as substitutes for value screening and ongoing control. Intelligence or power does not imply benevolent goals.

03Where the analogy breaks

Hal is an already selfish human who deliberately abuses superpowers, so this is primarily a misuse and governance analogy.

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. Deployment Safety
  2. Capability Evals
  3. Behavioral Alignment
  4. Power Concentration
  5. Orthogonality Thesis

Taxonomy neighbors

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

  1. Still from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners illustrating Cyberskeleton Field Test

    Cyberpunk: Edgerunners2022

    Cyberskeleton Field Test

    Risk
    Malicious use · Security · Systemic
    Concept
    Deployment Safety · Capability Evals
  2. Still from The Dark Knight illustrating Batman’s Sonar

    The Dark Knight2008

    Batman’s Sonar

    Risk
    Security · Systemic
    Concept
    Deployment Safety · Power Concentration
  3. Still from Big Hero 6 illustrating Hiro Removes Baymax’s Chip

    Big Hero 62014

    Hiro Removes Baymax’s Chip

    Risk
    Malicious use · Security
    Concept
    Deployment Safety · Behavioral Alignment