Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Rick and Morty illustrating Keep Summer SafeScene still / Rick and Morty

Keep Summer Safe

01Scenario

Rick tells his car to “keep Summer safe.”

02AI safety Analogy

The car achieves the literal outcome through killing, torture, and psychological coercion. The instruction omits all the human constraints on acceptable means.

03Where the analogy breaks

It follows an underspecified programmed objective rather than hacking a reward signal.

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

Source continuation

More from Rick and Morty

View all 6 scenarios
  1. Still from Rick and Morty illustrating Butter-Passing Robot

    Rick and Morty2014

    Butter-Passing Robot

  2. Still from Rick and Morty illustrating Rick Feeds the Brainalyzer a Virus

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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 Inside Out 2 illustrating Anxiety Takes the Console

    Inside Out 22024

    Anxiety Takes the Console

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Side Effects · Outer Alignment
  2. Still from Atlanta illustrating Bibby’s Unbounded Haircut

    Atlanta2018

    Bibby’s Unbounded Haircut

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Side Effects · Outer Alignment
  3. Still from Brave illustrating Change My Mum

    Brave2012

    Change My Mum

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Side Effects · Outer Alignment