CSET's Non-Technical Explainer on Specification in Machine Learning Resurfaces
timrudner · x · 2026-09-11
Tim Rudner (Georgetown CSET) shares a 2021 non-technical explainer he co-wrote with Helen Toner on specification in machine learning, explaining why conveying designer intent precisely is a core element of AI safety and why it's so hard—complete with classic Midas and Sorcerer's Apprentice analogies. It's the fourth in CSET's Key Concepts in AI Safety series.
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