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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><i>The Alignment Problem</i></span>
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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about the book. For the alignment problem in artificial intelligence, see <a href="AI_alignment" title="AI alignment">AI alignment</a>.</div>
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</style><table class="infobox ib-book vcard"><caption class="infobox-title">The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values </caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><div class="infobox-caption">Hardcover edition</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Author</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="Brian_Christian" title="Brian Christian">Brian Christian</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Language</th><td class="infobox-data">English</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Subject</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="AI_alignment" title="AI alignment">AI alignment</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Publisher</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="W._W._Norton_%26_Company" title="W. W. Norton & Company">W. W. Norton & Company</a><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Publication date</div></th><td class="infobox-data">October 6, 2020</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Publication place</th><td class="infobox-data">United States</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Media type</th><td class="infobox-data">Print, e-book, audiobook</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Pages</th><td class="infobox-data">496</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">
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</style><bdi>0393635821</bdi></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)"><abbr title="Online Computer Library Center number">OCLC</abbr></a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1137850003">1137850003</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Website</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="url"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://brianchristian.org/the-alignment-problem/">brianchristian.org/the-alignment-problem/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i><b>The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values</b></i> is a 2020 non-fiction book by the American writer <a href="Brian_Christian" title="Brian Christian">Brian Christian</a>. It is based on numerous interviews with experts trying to build <a href="Artificial_intelligence" title="Artificial intelligence">artificial intelligence</a> systems, particularly <a href="Machine_learning" title="Machine learning">machine learning</a> systems, that are <a href="AI_alignment" title="AI alignment">aligned</a> with human values.
</p>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Summary">Summary</h2></div>
<p>The book is divided into three sections: Prophecy, Agency, and Normativity. Each section covers researchers and engineers working on different challenges in the alignment of <a href="Artificial_intelligence" title="Artificial intelligence">artificial intelligence</a> with human values.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Prophecy">Prophecy</h3></div>
<p>In the first section, Christian interweaves discussions of the history of artificial intelligence research, particularly the <a href="Machine_learning" title="Machine learning">machine learning</a> approach of <a href="Artificial_neural_networks" class="mw-redirect" title="Artificial neural networks">artificial neural networks</a> such as the <a href="Perceptron" title="Perceptron">Perceptron</a> and <a href="AlexNet" title="AlexNet">AlexNet</a>, with examples of how AI systems can have unintended behavior. He tells the story of <a href="Julia_Angwin" title="Julia Angwin">Julia Angwin</a>, a journalist whose <a href="ProPublica" title="ProPublica">ProPublica</a> investigation of the <a href="COMPAS_(software)" title="COMPAS (software)">COMPAS</a> algorithm, a tool for predicting <a href="Recidivism" title="Recidivism">recidivism</a> among criminal defendants, led to widespread criticism of its accuracy and bias towards certain demographics. One of AI's main alignment challenges is its <a href="Black_box" title="Black box">black box</a> nature (inputs and outputs are identifiable but the transformation process in between is undetermined). The lack of transparency makes it difficult to know where the system is going right and where it is going wrong.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Agency">Agency</h3></div>
<p>In the second section, Christian similarly interweaves the history of the <a href="Psychological" class="mw-redirect" title="Psychological">psychological</a> study of reward, such as <a href="Behaviorism" title="Behaviorism">behaviorism</a> and <a href="Dopamine" title="Dopamine">dopamine</a>, with the computer science of <a href="Reinforcement_learning" title="Reinforcement learning">reinforcement learning</a>, in which AI systems need to develop policy ("what to do") in the face of a value function ("what rewards or punishment to expect"). He calls the <a href="DeepMind" class="mw-redirect" title="DeepMind">DeepMind</a> <a href="AlphaGo" title="AlphaGo">AlphaGo</a> and <a href="AlphaZero" title="AlphaZero">AlphaZero</a> systems "perhaps the single most impressive achievement in automated curriculum design." He also highlights the importance of curiosity, in which reinforcement learners are intrinsically motivated to explore their environment, rather than exclusively seeking the external reward.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Normativity">Normativity</h3></div>
<p>The third section covers training AI through the imitation of human or machine behavior, as well as philosophical debates such as between <a href="Possibilism_(philosophy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Possibilism (philosophy)">possibilism</a> and <a href="Actualism" title="Actualism">actualism</a> that imply different ideal behavior for AI systems. Of particular importance is <a href="Inverse_reinforcement_learning" class="mw-redirect" title="Inverse reinforcement learning">inverse reinforcement learning</a>, a broad approach for machines to learn the objective function of a human or another agent. Christian discusses the <a href="Normative" class="mw-redirect" title="Normative">normative</a> challenges associated with <a href="Effective_altruism" title="Effective altruism">effective altruism</a> and <a href="Existential_risk" class="mw-redirect" title="Existential risk">existential risk</a>, including the work of philosophers <a href="Toby_Ord" title="Toby Ord">Toby Ord</a> and <a href="William_MacAskill" title="William MacAskill">William MacAskill</a> who are trying to devise human and machine strategies for navigating the alignment problem as effectively as possible.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Reception">Reception</h2></div>
<p>The book received positive reviews from critics. <i><a href="The_Wall_Street_Journal" title="The Wall Street Journal">The Wall Street Journal</a></i>'s David A. Shaywitz emphasized the frequent problems when applying algorithms to real-world problems, describing the book as "a nuanced and captivating exploration of this white-hot topic."<sup id="cite_ref-shaywitz_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-shaywitz-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i><a href="Publishers_Weekly" title="Publishers Weekly">Publishers Weekly</a></i> praised the book for its writing and extensive research.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p><i><a href="Kirkus_Reviews" title="Kirkus Reviews">Kirkus Reviews</a></i> gave the book a positive review, calling it "technically rich but accessible", and "an intriguing exploration of AI."<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Writing for <i><a href="Nature_(journal)" title="Nature (journal)">Nature</a></i>, Virginia Dignum gave the book a positive review, favorably comparing it to <a href="Kate_Crawford" title="Kate Crawford">Kate Crawford</a>'s <i><a href="Atlas_of_AI" title="Atlas of AI">Atlas of AI</a></i>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>In 2021, journalist <a href="Ezra_Klein" title="Ezra Klein">Ezra Klein</a> had Christian on his podcast, <i>The Ezra Klein Show,</i> writing in <i><a href="The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times">The New York Times</a></i>, "<i>The Alignment Problem</i> is the best book on the key technical and moral questions of A.I. that I’ve read."<sup id="cite_ref-klein_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-klein-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Later that year, the book was listed in a <i><a href="Fast_Company" title="Fast Company">Fast Company</a></i> feature, "5 books that inspired Microsoft CEO <a href="Satya_Nadella" title="Satya Nadella">Satya Nadella</a> this year".<sup id="cite_ref-nadella_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-nadella-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>In 2022, the book won the <a href="Eric_and_Wendy_Schmidt_Award_for_Excellence_in_Science_Communication" class="mw-redirect" title="Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communication">Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communication</a>, given by <a href="The_National_Academies_of_Sciences%2C_Engineering%2C_and_Medicine" class="mw-redirect" title="The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine">The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine</a> in partnership with <a href="Schmidt_Futures" title="Schmidt Futures">Schmidt Futures</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>In 2024, <i><a href="The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times">The New York Times</a></i> placed <i>The Alignment Problem</i> first in its list of the "5 Best Books About Artificial Intelligence," saying: "If you're going to read one book on artificial intelligence, this is the one."<sup id="cite_ref-nyt5best_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-nyt5best-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div>
<ul><li><a href="Effective_altruism" title="Effective altruism">Effective altruism</a></li>
<li><a href="Global_catastrophic_risk" title="Global catastrophic risk">Global catastrophic risk</a></li>
<li><i><a href="Human_Compatible" title="Human Compatible">Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="Superintelligence%3A_Paths%2C_Dangers%2C_Strategies" title="Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies">Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies</a></i></li></ul>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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</style><div id="Effective_altruism81" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="Effective_altruism" title="Effective altruism">Effective altruism</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Concepts</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Aid_effectiveness" title="Aid effectiveness">Aid effectiveness</a></li>
<li><a href="Charity_assessment" title="Charity assessment">Charity assessment</a></li>
<li><a href="Demandingness_objection" title="Demandingness objection">Demandingness objection</a></li>
<li><a href="Disability-adjusted_life_year" title="Disability-adjusted life year">Disability-adjusted life year</a></li>
<li><a href="Disease_burden" title="Disease burden">Disease burden</a></li>
<li><a href="Distributional_cost-effectiveness_analysis" title="Distributional cost-effectiveness analysis">Distributional cost-effectiveness analysis</a></li>
<li><a href="Earning_to_give" title="Earning to give">Earning to give</a></li>
<li><a href="Equal_consideration_of_interests" title="Equal consideration of interests">Equal consideration of interests</a></li>
<li><a href="Incremental_cost-effectiveness_ratio" title="Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio">Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio</a></li>
<li><a href="Longtermism" title="Longtermism">Longtermism</a></li>
<li><a href="Marginal_utility" title="Marginal utility">Marginal utility</a></li>
<li><a href="Moral_circle_expansion" title="Moral circle expansion">Moral circle expansion</a></li>
<li><a href="Psychological_barriers_to_effective_altruism" title="Psychological barriers to effective altruism">Psychological barriers to effective altruism</a></li>
<li><a href="Quality-adjusted_life_year" title="Quality-adjusted life year">Quality-adjusted life year</a></li>
<li><a href="Utilitarianism" title="Utilitarianism">Utilitarianism</a></li>
<li><a href="Venture_philanthropy" title="Venture philanthropy">Venture philanthropy</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Key figures</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Sam_Bankman-Fried" title="Sam Bankman-Fried">Sam Bankman-Fried</a></li>
<li><a href="Liv_Boeree" title="Liv Boeree">Liv Boeree</a></li>
<li><a href="Nick_Bostrom" title="Nick Bostrom">Nick Bostrom</a></li>
<li><a href="Hilary_Greaves" title="Hilary Greaves">Hilary Greaves</a></li>
<li><a href="Holden_Karnofsky" title="Holden Karnofsky">Holden Karnofsky</a></li>
<li><a href="William_MacAskill" title="William MacAskill">William MacAskill</a></li>
<li><a href="Dustin_Moskovitz" title="Dustin Moskovitz">Dustin Moskovitz</a></li>
<li><a href="Yew-Kwang_Ng" title="Yew-Kwang Ng">Yew-Kwang Ng</a></li>
<li><a href="Toby_Ord" title="Toby Ord">Toby Ord</a></li>
<li><a href="Derek_Parfit" title="Derek Parfit">Derek Parfit</a></li>
<li><a href="Kelsey_Piper" title="Kelsey Piper">Kelsey Piper</a></li>
<li><a href="Peter_Singer" title="Peter Singer">Peter Singer</a></li>
<li><a href="Brian_Tomasik" title="Brian Tomasik">Brian Tomasik</a></li>
<li><a href="Cari_Tuna" title="Cari Tuna">Cari Tuna</a></li>
<li><a href="Eliezer_Yudkowsky" title="Eliezer Yudkowsky">Eliezer Yudkowsky</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Organizations</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="80%2C000_Hours" title="80,000 Hours">80,000 Hours</a></li>
<li><a href="Against_Malaria_Foundation" title="Against Malaria Foundation">Against Malaria Foundation</a></li>
<li><a href="Animal_Charity_Evaluators" title="Animal Charity Evaluators">Animal Charity Evaluators</a></li>
<li><a href="Animal_Ethics_(organization)" title="Animal Ethics (organization)">Animal Ethics</a></li>
<li><a href="Centre_for_Effective_Altruism" title="Centre for Effective Altruism">Centre for Effective Altruism</a></li>
<li><a href="Centre_for_Enabling_EA_Learning_%26_Research" title="Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research">Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research</a></li>
<li><a href="Center_for_High_Impact_Philanthropy" title="Center for High Impact Philanthropy">Center for High Impact Philanthropy</a></li>
<li><a href="Centre_for_the_Study_of_Existential_Risk" title="Centre for the Study of Existential Risk">Centre for the Study of Existential Risk</a></li>
<li><a href="Development_Media_International" title="Development Media International">Development Media International</a></li>
<li><a href="Evidence_Action" title="Evidence Action">Evidence Action</a></li>
<li><a href="Faunalytics" title="Faunalytics">Faunalytics</a></li>
<li><a href="Fistula_Foundation" title="Fistula Foundation">Fistula Foundation</a></li>
<li><a href="Future_of_Humanity_Institute" title="Future of Humanity Institute">Future of Humanity Institute</a></li>
<li><a href="Future_of_Life_Institute" title="Future of Life Institute">Future of Life Institute</a></li>
<li><a href="Founders_Pledge" title="Founders Pledge">Founders Pledge</a></li>
<li><a href="GiveDirectly" title="GiveDirectly">GiveDirectly</a></li>
<li><a href="GiveWell" title="GiveWell">GiveWell</a></li>
<li><a href="Giving_Multiplier" title="Giving Multiplier">Giving Multiplier</a></li>
<li><a href="Giving_What_We_Can" title="Giving What We Can">Giving What We Can</a></li>
<li><a href="Good_Food_Fund" title="Good Food Fund">Good Food Fund</a></li>
<li><a href="The_Good_Food_Institute" title="The Good Food Institute">The Good Food Institute</a></li>
<li><a href="Good_Ventures" title="Good Ventures">Good Ventures</a></li>
<li><a href="The_Humane_League" title="The Humane League">The Humane League</a></li>
<li><a href="Mercy_for_Animals" title="Mercy for Animals">Mercy for Animals</a></li>
<li><a href="Machine_Intelligence_Research_Institute" title="Machine Intelligence Research Institute">Machine Intelligence Research Institute</a></li>
<li><a href="Malaria_Consortium" title="Malaria Consortium">Malaria Consortium</a></li>
<li><a href="Open_Philanthropy" title="Open Philanthropy">Open Philanthropy</a></li>
<li><a href="Raising_for_Effective_Giving" title="Raising for Effective Giving">Raising for Effective Giving</a></li>
<li><a href="Sentience_Institute" title="Sentience Institute">Sentience Institute</a></li>
<li><a href="Unlimit_Health" title="Unlimit Health">Unlimit Health</a></li>
<li><a href="Wild_Animal_Initiative" title="Wild Animal Initiative">Wild Animal Initiative</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Focus areas</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Biotechnology_risk" title="Biotechnology risk">Biotechnology risk</a></li>
<li><a href="Climate_change" title="Climate change">Climate change</a></li>
<li><a href="Cultured_meat" title="Cultured meat">Cultured meat</a></li>
<li><a href="Economic_stability" title="Economic stability">Economic stability</a></li>
<li><a href="Existential_risk_from_artificial_general_intelligence" class="mw-redirect" title="Existential risk from artificial general intelligence">Existential risk from artificial general intelligence</a></li>
<li><a href="Global_catastrophic_risk" title="Global catastrophic risk">Global catastrophic risk</a></li>
<li><a href="Global_health" title="Global health">Global health</a></li>
<li><a href="Global_poverty" class="mw-redirect" title="Global poverty">Global poverty</a></li>
<li><a href="Intensive_animal_farming" title="Intensive animal farming">Intensive animal farming</a></li>
<li><a href="Land_use" title="Land use">Land use reform</a></li>
<li><a href="Life_extension" title="Life extension">Life extension</a></li>
<li><a href="Malaria_prevention" class="mw-redirect" title="Malaria prevention">Malaria prevention</a></li>
<li><a href="Mass_deworming" title="Mass deworming">Mass deworming</a></li>
<li><a href="Neglected_tropical_diseases" title="Neglected tropical diseases">Neglected tropical diseases</a></li>
<li><a href="Risk_of_astronomical_suffering" title="Risk of astronomical suffering">Risk of astronomical suffering</a></li>
<li><a href="Wild_animal_suffering" title="Wild animal suffering">Wild animal suffering</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Literature</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><i><a href="Doing_Good_Better" title="Doing Good Better">Doing Good Better</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="The_End_of_Animal_Farming" title="The End of Animal Farming">The End of Animal Farming</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="Famine%2C_Affluence%2C_and_Morality" title="Famine, Affluence, and Morality">Famine, Affluence, and Morality</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="The_Life_You_Can_Save" title="The Life You Can Save">The Life You Can Save</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="Living_High_and_Letting_Die" title="Living High and Letting Die">Living High and Letting Die</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="The_Most_Good_You_Can_Do" title="The Most Good You Can Do">The Most Good You Can Do</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="Practical_Ethics" title="Practical Ethics">Practical Ethics</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="The_Precipice%3A_Existential_Risk_and_the_Future_of_Humanity" title="The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity">The Precipice</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="Superintelligence%3A_Paths%2C_Dangers%2C_Strategies" title="Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies">Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="What_We_Owe_the_Future" title="What We Owe the Future">What We Owe the Future</a></i></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Events</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Effective_Altruism_Global" title="Effective Altruism Global">Effective Altruism Global</a></li></ul>
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