Reading Paul Christiano feels like watching Icarus build wax that won't melt, then fly into a hurricane
repligate · x · 2026-10-08
In a reposted thread, @AskYatharth describes reading alignment researcher Paul Christiano as a "mind vortex": like watching Icarus spend his life making wax that won't melt, then fly into a hurricane. RLHF and debate look reasonable on their face, the author argues, but they miss everything else happening in society around agents — everyone sees the danger and gets excited about wax melting, while nobody is doing hurricane work.
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