When discussing inner/outer alignment and optimization generally, evolution is often thrown out as an example. Off the top of my head, the Sharp Left Turn post discusses evolution as if it is an “outer optimizer”.
But evolution seems special and distinct from every other optimizer we encounter. It doesn’t have a physical location and it doesn’t have preferences that can be changed. It’s selecting for things that are capable of sticking around and making more copies of itself.
It’s selection is the default one.
Do you know of authors who have written about this?
Evolution and Optimization
When discussing inner/outer alignment and optimization generally, evolution is often thrown out as an example. Off the top of my head, the Sharp Left Turn post discusses evolution as if it is an “outer optimizer”.
But evolution seems special and distinct from every other optimizer we encounter. It doesn’t have a physical location and it doesn’t have preferences that can be changed. It’s selecting for things that are capable of sticking around and making more copies of itself.
It’s selection is the default one.
Do you know of authors who have written about this?