Alignment becomes more difficult when two objects are less similar, more remote and less linear, e.g. mouse and clouds.
A useful model are companion pets.
Humans use many species of animals, but only a few of them as companions: dogs, horses, a few more.
A human can build a team with a dog to pursue shared goals (e.g. hunting). But a human can’t build such a team with a snail.
In the value system of chimpanzees, it seems to be acceptable to bite off fingers of someone who wronged them. In spite of our genetic closeness, chimpanzees are not suitable companions (but probably can be modified to become suitable).
Dogs are far different from humans than chimpanzees, but were selected for +50k years to be good companions, starting from an animal already mostly suitable for that due to an evolutionary coincidence. The result is a rather strong alignment of values, but still far from perfect (dogs sometimes kill humans).
I’m not aware of any companion animal that is not a mammal. Perhaps some falcons?
In general, animal companionship seems to require a sufficient biological similarity, a mind capable of mutual understanding, and at least some minimal alignment of values.
Falconry is a thing, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider them model companion birds.
Many birds do bond with us, though they might not be recommended companions due to complications of care. But birds that have sufficient similarity, mutual understanding and alignment of values to form a team likely includes but is not limited to crows, parrots, and pigeons. Pigeons, of course, have been livestock, but also messengers and pets. Many more kinds of birds have social inclinations that may cause them to interpret a human as a flock member, friend, parent, or someone to fall in love with (even if we don’t have any specific shared goals to team up on).
A useful model are companion pets.
Humans use many species of animals, but only a few of them as companions: dogs, horses, a few more.
A human can build a team with a dog to pursue shared goals (e.g. hunting). But a human can’t build such a team with a snail.
In the value system of chimpanzees, it seems to be acceptable to bite off fingers of someone who wronged them. In spite of our genetic closeness, chimpanzees are not suitable companions (but probably can be modified to become suitable).
Dogs are far different from humans than chimpanzees, but were selected for +50k years to be good companions, starting from an animal already mostly suitable for that due to an evolutionary coincidence. The result is a rather strong alignment of values, but still far from perfect (dogs sometimes kill humans).
I’m not aware of any companion animal that is not a mammal. Perhaps some falcons?
In general, animal companionship seems to require a sufficient biological similarity, a mind capable of mutual understanding, and at least some minimal alignment of values.
Falconry is a thing, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider them model companion birds.
Many birds do bond with us, though they might not be recommended companions due to complications of care. But birds that have sufficient similarity, mutual understanding and alignment of values to form a team likely includes but is not limited to crows, parrots, and pigeons. Pigeons, of course, have been livestock, but also messengers and pets. Many more kinds of birds have social inclinations that may cause them to interpret a human as a flock member, friend, parent, or someone to fall in love with (even if we don’t have any specific shared goals to team up on).
Good example with dogs. But here we aligned simpler minds by very costly evolutionary process. Can’t be done with more complex minds.