Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie (patio11) AI alignment, with Emmett Shear
79 snips
Sep 11, 2025 
Emmett Shear, co-founder of Twitch and former interim CEO of OpenAI, now leads Softmax AI alignment. He critiques traditional AI safety methods that rely on control, advocating for an 'organic alignment' approach where AI systems learn to care for their communities. The discussion dives into AI's rapid advancements, the contrast between convergence and discernment learning, and the challenges of aligning AI with human values. Shear emphasizes the need for flexibility in AI goals and the importance of context in developing responsible technologies.
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Organic Alignment Over Systems Of Control
- Emmett Shear proposes "organic alignment": parts become aligned by growing shared commitments rather than hard rules.
- Natural systems (cells, ant colonies, forests) demonstrate robust emergent alignment without centralized control.
AI As A New Universal-Constructor Layer
- Emmett frames AI as a new universal-constructor layer like language or biology, with similar disruptive potential.
- When systems can self-replicate and iterate, they rapidly dominate niches and produce cascades of change.
Benchmarks Show Rapid Capability Jumps
- Patrick stresses capability progress: LLM outputs now carry meaning and rapidly saturate benchmarks.
- That capability jump makes earlier skepticism based on older models misleading.
