Tom's Story: to get through grad school, become a sperm whale
Jan 26, 2024
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Tom, a sociology turned AI Ph.D. at Berkeley, shares his journey through grad school, discussing topics such as the current state of the field, striving for impact, educational background among physicists, understanding existentialism, childhood exposure to AI, reaching out in academia, origins of AI ethics, and the evolution of Less Wrong community.
Pursuing topics that bring genuine happiness and authenticity is more important than fulfilling external expectations in academia.
Interdisciplinary collaboration and humility are essential when tackling the impact of AI on society.
Continuous introspection and development of tools are necessary to better understand and manage AI's impact and risks.
Deep dives
Discovering a New Direction in AI
The speaker shares their journey in discovering and pursuing a new direction in AI. They initially faced rejection from their department when proposing a PhD thesis in sociology about AI. However, the speaker remained determined and reached out to various professors, eventually forming a thesis committee. The speaker then describes their encounter with the field of AI ethics and the confessionary impulse among some prominent CS professors to address potential risks. They reflect on the passion and curious questioning within this community, comparing it to historical moments of intellectual exploration. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of pursuing topics that bring genuine happiness and authenticity, rather than fulfilling external expectations.
Navigating Grad School and Designing a Degree
The speaker describes the challenges faced during grad school and the process of designing their own degree at Berkeley. They explain how they approached professors and formed a committee to support their research on the subjectivity of machines. The speaker shares their initial interest in ethnography of the AI safety community, and how it transformed into a deeper involvement with AI alignment and AI ethics. They discuss the confessional moments among professors regarding potential risks of AI, and their personal journey of joining the Chai Lab. The speaker highlights the humility and interdisciplinary collaboration needed in tackling AI's impact on society.
The Intersection of Philosophy and AI
The speaker explores the connection between philosophy and AI ethics, drawing historical parallels to ancient Greek philosophers and Pythagoreans' fascination with numbers and geometry. They discuss their introduction to lesswrong.com and effective altruism, and the subsequent realization of the profound questions and vitality within the AI ethics and alignment communities. The speaker reflects on the importance of humility when approaching these topics and the desire to influence the direction of AI development for the betterment of society. They encourage individuals to find their authentic path in academia and explore topics that bring genuine happiness and curiosity.
The Significance of Passion in Grad School
The speaker emphasizes the importance of pursuing topics in grad school that ignite passion and curiosity. They reflect on their own experiences in grad school and highlight the significance of having a supportive environment and friend group. The speaker encourages individuals to aim for ideals that make them happy to be in grad school, rather than focusing solely on meeting external expectations or credentials. They discuss the challenges and rewards of pursuing an unconventional path in academia and express gratitude for being part of the journey in AI ethics and alignment.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI Ethics
The speaker touches on the evolving landscape of AI ethics and the future implications of addressing the risks and values associated with AI. They discuss the limitations of existing approaches and the importance of continuous introspection and development of tools to better understand and manage AI's impact. The speaker expresses a desire for normalization and standardized practices within the AI ethics field, as well as a need for interdisciplinary collaboration and diverse perspectives to tackle challenges effectively.
We recovered this episode from the depth of lost podcast recordings! We carry on and Tom tells the story of his wonderful sociology turned AI Ph.D. at Berkeley. This comes with plenty of great commentary on the current state of the field and striving for impact. We cover the riverbank of Vienna, the heart of the sperm whale, and deep life lessons.
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