True, if we’re talking solely about alignment. If we’re talking about the larger space of, as you put them, “maximize objective function”-type goals, then there’s plenty of demand for resources. Let’s say I wanna do (actually effective) longevity research. Since the competition for grant money is (like most things) Goodharted and broken, and because I don’t have enough biology credentials, I’m gonna need to self-fund in order to buy lab materials and grad student slaves.
Ok, sick. I largely agree with you btw (about the hamster wheel being corrosive). If I came off as agressive, fyi, I liked the spirit of your post a lot, and I strong-upvoted it.
My Solution
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Optimize skill-building over resource-collection. You don’t need that many resources.
Ask:
What is the skill I’m most interested in building right now?
What’s the best way to get this skill?
A couple of things:
Open source libraries are free tutoring
Most alignment-relevant skills can be effectively self-taught
Projects are learning opportunities that demand mastery
Tutoring is cheaper and possibly more effective than college tuition
True, if we’re talking solely about alignment. If we’re talking about the larger space of, as you put them, “maximize objective function”-type goals, then there’s plenty of demand for resources. Let’s say I wanna do (actually effective) longevity research. Since the competition for grant money is (like most things) Goodharted and broken, and because I don’t have enough biology credentials, I’m gonna need to self-fund in order to buy lab materials and grad student slaves.
There is no universal advice that I can give.
The problem is that people are assuming that wheeling is correct without checking that it is.
I’m not proposing developing an allergic reaction to colleges or something.
Ok, sick. I largely agree with you btw (about the hamster wheel being corrosive). If I came off as agressive, fyi, I liked the spirit of your post a lot, and I strong-upvoted it.
Cool!