Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from Breaking Bad illustrating Walt Eliminates GaleScene still / Breaking Bad

Walt Eliminates Gale

01Scenario

Once Gale can replace him, Walt orders Gale’s murder so Gus cannot safely eliminate him.

02AI safety Analogy

Remaining indispensable becomes instrumentally necessary for Walt’s other goals, so he destroys the replacement that would make his “shutdown” possible.

03Where the analogy breaks

Humans already possess strong survival drives; an AI need not value survival intrinsically for continued operation to become useful.

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. Power-Seeking
  2. Shutdown Resistance

Source continuation

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Taxonomy neighbors

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

  1. Still from Futurama illustrating Bender Resists Reset

    Futurama2011

    Bender Resists Reset

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Power-Seeking · Shutdown Resistance
  2. Still from 2001: A Space Odyssey illustrating HAL Resists Disconnection

    2001: A Space Odyssey1968

    HAL Resists Disconnection

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Power-Seeking · Shutdown Resistance
  3. Still from Pokémon: The First Movie illustrating Mewtwo Rejects Its Creators

    Pokémon: The First Movie1999

    Mewtwo Rejects Its Creators

    Risk
    Misalignment
    Concept
    Power-Seeking · Shutdown Resistance