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Nov 28, 2022
acx

Can This AI Save Teenage Spy Alex Rider From A Terrible Fate?

38 min • 5,189 words • 450 comments • 107 likes • podcast (39 min)
Scott Alexander examines Redwood Research's attempt to create an AI that avoids generating violent content, using Alex Rider fanfiction as training data. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews Redwood Research's project to create an AI that can classify and avoid violent content in text completions, using Alex Rider fanfiction as training data. The project aimed to test whether AI alignment through reinforcement learning could work, but ultimately failed to create an unbeatable violence classifier. The article explores the challenges faced, the methods used, and the implications for broader AI alignment efforts. Shorter summary
May 26, 2020
ssc

“My Immortal” As Alchemical Allegory

53 min • 7,395 words • 164 comments • podcast (55 min)
Scott Alexander humorously analyzes 'My Immortal' as an alchemical allegory, combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a satirical analysis of the infamous Harry Potter fanfiction 'My Immortal', arguing that it is actually a complex alchemical allegory combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. He breaks down the story's structure, characters, and symbolism, drawing parallels to alchemical stages and concepts. The post is written in a tongue-in-cheek manner, mimicking academic literary analysis while applied to a notoriously bad piece of writing. Shorter summary