An AI researcher focuses grantmaking on averting unaligned superintelligence.
They see it as near-certain existential catastrophe.
Other AI risks are lower priority.
What happened
An AI researcher outlines a grantmaking strategy focused on delaying or averting unaligned superintelligence, prioritizing interventions that increase the odds of aligned superintelligence.
Why it matters
The author estimates that unaligned superintelligence would near-certainly cause an existential catastrophe at current levels of alignment theory, and sees it as the default outcome of current AI development trends.
What to watch
The strategy narrows support to efforts that address the highest-impact risk, potentially shifting funding away from other AI-related concerns like biorisk and autonomous weapons.
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The author's grantmaking strategy is a direct response to their assessment of existential risks from AI. They argue that while multiple AI-related dangers exist, the potential for unaligned superintelligence is uniquely catastrophic and likely by default as AI systems evolve from mimicking human text to reinforcement learning and continuous learning. This leads them to concentrate resources on a narrow set of interventions aimed at preventing this outcome. The perspective reflects a broader concern within the AI safety community about the trajectory of AI development and the need for proactive measures.
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