LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “Authors Have a Responsibility to Communicate Clearly” by TurnTrout
Jul 8, 2025
The podcast dives into the essential responsibility authors have to communicate clearly, especially in high-stakes contexts. It critiques the common defense of interpreting sloppy writing as mere misunderstanding. This approach not only misguides readers but also diminishes an author's accountability. The discussion emphasizes that effective communication is a partnership, urging both authors to articulate their thoughts precisely and readers to engage thoughtfully. The impact of vague writing on understanding and honesty is also explored, raising crucial questions about clarity in discourse.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Sloppiness Move Harms Communication
- Saying an author was just "sloppy" shifts the burden of interpretation onto the reader.
- This movement can hide unclear communication and damage the partnership in serious writing.
Bengio et al. AI Language Debate
- Turntrout shared a debate about Bengio et al.'s AI safety proposal involving sloppy language claims.
- The example shows how claims about reinforcement learning agents were contested for unclear meaning.
Unclear Claims Damage Understanding
- Sloppy claims can cause misunderstanding and propagate incorrect beliefs.
- The physical impact of unclear language equals making wrong claims in practice.