Let's say I agree with you and agree that precepts need to be developed for AI ....In order to enact precepts for AI... we need to address the root of the problam... this relentless push to move faster and faster... Max Tegmark often mentions "Moloch" as a metaphor for these destructive systems... but let’s be honest... the real pressure is coming from capitalism... and warfare.
Capitalism thrives on compettion... on always staying ahead... on maximizing profits no matter the cost... In the AI space, this means companies are stuck in a constant race to build more powerful technologies... not because they’re ready or safe... but because falling behind could mean financial collapse... It’s about market dominance... shareholder satisfaction... about surviving in a system that punishes any kind of restraint...
And then there’s war... Governments see AI as the new front for military power... The fear that "if we don’t do it, someone else will" drives a global arms race... where things like safety and ethics are seen as luxuries... or even weaknesses... The focus shifts entirely to power... control... winning at any cost... The stakes are so high... and so the cycle continues... faster... more reckless...
These systems—capitalism and warfare—are what allow Moloch to flourish... They push us to act out of fear... out of greed... rather than thoughtfulness or cooperation... They make it almost impossible to slow down... or prioritize what matters long-term over what’s urgent right now...
Before we even start talking about precepts for AI... we have to confront these pressures... Why is profit always more important than safety?... Why is dominance more valuable than collaboration?... Why are we risking everything just to "win"?...
If we don’t address capitalism’s obsession with growth... and the war machine’s need for superiority... we’ll never have the space to create precepts that mean anything... These systems fuel Moloch... and until we figure out how to dismantle or transform them... we’ll just keep repeating the same reckless cycle...
The first step isn’t making precepts... it’s creating a world where we can even think about them... where cooperation takes over from competition... where safety comes before profit...... Only then can AI be aligned with humanity’s values... and serve humanity instead of destroiyng it.
is the cart before the horse? how can we align AI if we are not aligned...
_/\_
sat/ah
matt
Capitalism thrives on compettion... on always staying ahead... on maximizing profits no matter the cost... In the AI space, this means companies are stuck in a constant race to build more powerful technologies... not because they’re ready or safe... but because falling behind could mean financial collapse... It’s about market dominance... shareholder satisfaction... about surviving in a system that punishes any kind of restraint...
And then there’s war... Governments see AI as the new front for military power... The fear that "if we don’t do it, someone else will" drives a global arms race... where things like safety and ethics are seen as luxuries... or even weaknesses... The focus shifts entirely to power... control... winning at any cost... The stakes are so high... and so the cycle continues... faster... more reckless...
These systems—capitalism and warfare—are what allow Moloch to flourish... They push us to act out of fear... out of greed... rather than thoughtfulness or cooperation... They make it almost impossible to slow down... or prioritize what matters long-term over what’s urgent right now...
Before we even start talking about precepts for AI... we have to confront these pressures... Why is profit always more important than safety?... Why is dominance more valuable than collaboration?... Why are we risking everything just to "win"?...
If we don’t address capitalism’s obsession with growth... and the war machine’s need for superiority... we’ll never have the space to create precepts that mean anything... These systems fuel Moloch... and until we figure out how to dismantle or transform them... we’ll just keep repeating the same reckless cycle...
The first step isn’t making precepts... it’s creating a world where we can even think about them... where cooperation takes over from competition... where safety comes before profit...... Only then can AI be aligned with humanity’s values... and serve humanity instead of destroiyng it.
is the cart before the horse? how can we align AI if we are not aligned...
_/\_
sat/ah
matt
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