My biggest failure point is my inability to carry out goals. That’s what my inner Murphy says would cause my failure to get into MIRI and do good work. That’s probably the most important thing I’m currently trying to get out of LW—the Hammertime sequence looks promising. If anyone has any good recommendations for people who can’t remember to focus, I’d love them.
If you elaborate on your productivity issues, maybe we can offer specific recommendations. What’s the nature of your difficulty focusing?
My Outside View is sane, and I know there’s a very low chance that I’ve seen something that everyone else missed.
I was a computer science undergraduate at a top university. The outside view is that for computer science students taking upper division classes, assisting professors with research is nothing remarkable. Pure math is different, because there is so much already and you need to climb to the top before contributing. But AI safety is a very young field.
The thing you’re describing sounds similar to other proposals I’ve seen. But I’d suggest developing it independently for a while. A common piece of research advice: If you read what others write, you think the same thoughts they’re thinking, which decreases your odds of making an original contribution. (Once you run out of steam, you can survey the literature, figure out how your idea is different, and publish the delta.)
I would suggest playing with ideas without worrying a lot about whether they’re original. Independently re-inventing something can still be a rewarding experience. See also. You miss all the shots you don’t take.
Final note: When I was your age, I suffered from the halo effect when thinking about MIRI. It took me years to realize MIRI has blind spots just like everyone else. I wish I had realized this sooner. They say science advances one funeral at a time. If AI safety is to progress faster than that, we’ll need willingness to disregard the opinions of senior people while they’re still alive. A healthy disrespect for authority is a good thing to have.
Hey, welcome! Glad you made this post.
If you elaborate on your productivity issues, maybe we can offer specific recommendations. What’s the nature of your difficulty focusing?
I was a computer science undergraduate at a top university. The outside view is that for computer science students taking upper division classes, assisting professors with research is nothing remarkable. Pure math is different, because there is so much already and you need to climb to the top before contributing. But AI safety is a very young field.
The thing you’re describing sounds similar to other proposals I’ve seen. But I’d suggest developing it independently for a while. A common piece of research advice: If you read what others write, you think the same thoughts they’re thinking, which decreases your odds of making an original contribution. (Once you run out of steam, you can survey the literature, figure out how your idea is different, and publish the delta.)
I would suggest playing with ideas without worrying a lot about whether they’re original. Independently re-inventing something can still be a rewarding experience. See also. You miss all the shots you don’t take.
Final note: When I was your age, I suffered from the halo effect when thinking about MIRI. It took me years to realize MIRI has blind spots just like everyone else. I wish I had realized this sooner. They say science advances one funeral at a time. If AI safety is to progress faster than that, we’ll need willingness to disregard the opinions of senior people while they’re still alive. A healthy disrespect for authority is a good thing to have.