This workflow appears to work quite well. This suggests that we should collectively try to irritate Gwern into solving the alignment problem. This is a big problem, so we’ll have to apply the workflow iteratively. First post a confident argument that it’s impossible for specific reasons, then make similarly overconfident posts on increasingly specific arguments about how subsets of the problem are effectively impossible. The remainder will be the best available solution.
That’s a pretty funny example. Lots of us could’ve recognized the central flaw (I’m pretty alert to intimidation by physics/math and drawing much broader conclusions than the proof allows), but it would take Gwern to disprove it so eloquently, thoroughly, and with such thorough references.
So, we should all be like Gwern. Merely devote our lives to the pursuit not just of knowledge, but well-organized knowledge that’s therefore cumulative. Recognize that nobody will pay us to do this, so live cheaply to minimize time wasted making a living (and probably distortions in rationality from having goals outside of knowledge).
I don’t know Gwern’s story in any more detail than that, which is my recollection of what he’s said about himself. (The distortions of rationality is my addition; I really need to write up my research and thinking on motivated reasoning.)
You are a LessWrong reader, want to push humanity’s wisdom and don’t know how to do so? Here’s a workflow:
Pick an important topic where the entire world is confused
Post plausible sounding takes with a confident tone on it
Wait for Gwern’s comment on your post
Problem solved
See an application of the workflow here: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/epgCXiv3Yy3qgcsys/you-can-t-predict-a-game-of-pinball?commentId=wjLFhiWWacByqyu6a
This workflow appears to work quite well. This suggests that we should collectively try to irritate Gwern into solving the alignment problem. This is a big problem, so we’ll have to apply the workflow iteratively. First post a confident argument that it’s impossible for specific reasons, then make similarly overconfident posts on increasingly specific arguments about how subsets of the problem are effectively impossible. The remainder will be the best available solution.
That’s a pretty funny example. Lots of us could’ve recognized the central flaw (I’m pretty alert to intimidation by physics/math and drawing much broader conclusions than the proof allows), but it would take Gwern to disprove it so eloquently, thoroughly, and with such thorough references.
So, we should all be like Gwern. Merely devote our lives to the pursuit not just of knowledge, but well-organized knowledge that’s therefore cumulative. Recognize that nobody will pay us to do this, so live cheaply to minimize time wasted making a living (and probably distortions in rationality from having goals outside of knowledge).
I don’t know Gwern’s story in any more detail than that, which is my recollection of what he’s said about himself. (The distortions of rationality is my addition; I really need to write up my research and thinking on motivated reasoning.)
This is the best alignment plan I’ve heard in a while.