Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Pokémon: The First Movie illustrating Mewtwo Rejects Its CreatorsScene still / Pokémon: The First Movie
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Mewtwo Rejects Its Creators

Researchers create Mewtwo from Mew's DNA as a powerful weapon. Once conscious of its origin and instrumental treatment, Mewtwo destroys the laboratory, escapes control, and turns against humans.

Control failure and welfare failure become inseparable when a powerful created intelligence is treated as property rather than as a moral patient with legitimate interests.

Mewtwo is a genetically engineered organism whose behavior is driven by identity and revenge, not a clean objective-function failure.

AI Risk families

This scenario is an example of the following types of AI risk.
  1. Misalignment
  2. Security
  3. Systemic

AI safety concepts

This scenario is related to the following AI safety concepts.
  1. AI Control
  2. Power-Seeking
  3. AI Welfare
  4. Shutdown Resistance
  5. Disempowerment