In this episode, Nathan sits down with Nora Ammann, cofounder and CEO of PIBBSS (Principles of Intelligent Behavior in Biological and Social Systems), a research initiative focused on the principles of intelligent behavior in biological and social systems. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://shopify.com/cognitive for a $1/month trial period.
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@labenz (Nathan)
@AmmannNora (Nora)
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00:00) - Introduction to Nora Amman and PIBS
(00:03:25) - Nathan's view that society is not ready for rapid AI development
(00:05:55) - Nora's framing of AI safety, alignment, and risks
(00:09:31) - The problem of epistemic access to future AI systems
(00:12:36) - Categorizing different research approaches to AI safety
(00:15:46) - Seeking epistemic robustness through plural perspectives
(00:19:00) - Expecting AI systems to continue getting more powerful and different
(00:21:13) - Nora's "third way" research approach using biological and social systems
(00:25:00) - Defining intelligence broadly across systems that transform inputs to outputs
(00:27:29) - Avoiding analogies and anthropomorphism when studying AI systems
(00:30:23) - Using multiple perspectives and assumptions to triangulate understanding
(00:35:13) - Translating concepts between domains more multifaceted than just "borrowing"
(00:38:15) - Learning from interdisciplinary practices like bioengineering
(00:42:05) - Key questions about the nature of intelligence and agency
(00:46:38) - Understanding hierarchical levels of agentic behavior
(00:49:32) - Aligning goals between individuals and organizations
(00:53:27) - Assessing the validity of assumptions and analogies about AI
(00:58:57) - Informing AI interpretability and evaluation with theory
(01:02:12) - Modeling interactions between AI systems
(01:04:56) - Using ecology as a framework for AI interactions
(01:07:46) - Developing a computational ecology theory
(01:11:45) - Learning from historical examples of societal transformations
(01:16:59) - Unprecedented speed and autonomy of AI development
(01:19:00) - PIBS programs for connecting researchers across domains
(01:23:39) - Seeking researchers to tie theory to concrete AI applications
(01:26:45) - Need for productive disagreement on AI risks and solutions
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