I often find myself revisiting this post—it has profoundly shaped my philosophical understanding of numerous concepts. I think the notion of conflationary alliances introduced here is crucial for identifying and disentangling/dissolving many ambiguous terms and resolving philosophical confusion. I think this applies not only to consciousness but also to situational awareness, pain, interpretability, safety, alignment, and intelligence, to name a few.
I think the concept of conflationary alliances is almost indispensable for effective conceptual work in AI safety research. For example, it helps clarify distinctions, such as the difference between “consciousness” and “situational awareness.” This will become increasingly important as AI systems grow more capable and public discourse becomes more polarized around their morality and conscious status.
Highly recommended for anyone seeking clarity in their thinking!
I often find myself revisiting this post—it has profoundly shaped my philosophical understanding of numerous concepts. I think the notion of conflationary alliances introduced here is crucial for identifying and disentangling/dissolving many ambiguous terms and resolving philosophical confusion. I think this applies not only to consciousness but also to situational awareness, pain, interpretability, safety, alignment, and intelligence, to name a few.
I referenced this blog post in my own post, My Intellectual Journey to Dis-solve the Hard Problem of Consciousness, during a period when I was plateauing and making no progress in better understanding consciousness. I now believe that much of my confusion has been resolved.
I think the concept of conflationary alliances is almost indispensable for effective conceptual work in AI safety research. For example, it helps clarify distinctions, such as the difference between “consciousness” and “situational awareness.” This will become increasingly important as AI systems grow more capable and public discourse becomes more polarized around their morality and conscious status.
Highly recommended for anyone seeking clarity in their thinking!