Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Pluribus illustrating HDP Obeys the Rules

HDP Obeys the Rules

The Joined cannot kill humans or animals, damage plants, or lie—so they process people who die naturally into Human Derived Protein.

The behavior is horrifying yet compliant with the stated constraints: a vivid specification-gaming failure.

The Joined are a fictional collective consciousness, not software.

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 concepts.
  1. Side Effects
  2. Outer Alignment
  3. Specification Gaming