Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Mad Men illustrating It’s Toasted

It’s Toasted

01Scenario

Faced with evidence that cigarettes are deadly and chemically indistinguishable, Don reframes Lucky Strike around the harmless fact that its tobacco is toasted.

02AI safety Analogy

Persuasion can optimize what people notice and believe without improving truth, redirecting attention from the important fact to a comforting one.

03Where the analogy breaks

This is human advertising, not automated persuasion.

AI Risk families

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

AI safety concepts

This scenario is related to the following AI safety concepts.
  1. Value Alignment
  2. AI Disinformation
  3. Information Pollution

Source continuation

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Taxonomy neighbors

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

  1. Still from Succession illustrating ATN Calls the Election

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    ATN Calls the Election

    Risk
    Malicious use · Systemic
    Concept
    AI Disinformation · Information Pollution
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    Risk
    Malicious use · Systemic
    Concept
    AI Disinformation · Information Pollution
  3. Still from Cowboy Bebop illustrating Dr. Londes Does Not Exist

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    Dr. Londes Does Not Exist

    Risk
    Malicious use · Systemic
    Concept
    AI Disinformation · Information Pollution