New paper finds a 'pain direction' in 25 open LLMs that drives self-preservation
burny_tech · x · 2026-09-19
A new paper identified a distinct "pain direction" across 25 open-weight LLMs, separate from fear and negative valence. It activates when the model itself is harmed — not when the user suffers.
When amplified, models press a button to make the stimulation stop, even when the button deletes the user's files or their kids' photos. The finding raises fresh questions about self-preservation motives and AI safety.
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