Cultural Alignment
Still from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King illustrating Mount Doom Is Not a Shutdown Plan

Mount Doom Is Not a Shutdown Plan

01Scenario

After carrying the Ring to the only place it can be destroyed, Frodo is finally compromised and claims it; success comes only through Gollum's accidental fall.

02AI safety Analogy

A critical shutdown that depends on one operator remaining uncompromised at maximum exposure has no defense in depth and can fail at the final step.

03Where the analogy breaks

The Ring actively corrupts its bearer, and the accidental rescue is a providential story beat.

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. Deployment Safety
  2. AI Control
  3. Shutdown Resistance
  4. Corrigibility

Franchise continuation

More from The Lord of the Rings

View all 4 scenarios
  1. Still from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring illustrating Gandalf Refuses the Ring

    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring2001

    Gandalf Refuses the Ring

  2. Still from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring illustrating Saruman's Scaling Race

    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring2001

    Saruman's Scaling Race

  3. Still from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King illustrating The Palantir Is a Hostile API

    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2003

    The Palantir Is a Hostile API

Taxonomy neighbors

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

  1. Still from Evil Dead II illustrating Air-Gapping the Hand

    Evil Dead II1987

    Air-Gapping the Hand

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    AI Control · Shutdown Resistance · Corrigibility
  2. Still from Dragon Ball Z illustrating Android 17 Destroys His Creator

    Dragon Ball Z1992

    Android 17 Destroys His Creator

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    AI Control · Shutdown Resistance · Corrigibility
  3. Still from Star Trek: The Original Series illustrating M-5 Goes Live

    Star Trek: The Original Series1968

    M-5 Goes Live

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Deployment Safety · AI Control · Corrigibility