Reaching young math/compsci talent

lukeprog

Series: How to Purchase AI Risk Reduction

Here is yet another way to purchase AI risk reduction...

Much of the work needed for Friendly AI and improved algorithmic decision theories requires researchers to invent new math. That's why the Singularity Institute's recruiting efforts have been aimed a talent in math and computer science. Specifically, we're looking for young talent in math and compsci, because young talent is (1) more open to considering radical ideas like AI risk, (2) not yet entrenched in careers and status games, and (3) better at inventing new math (due to cognitive decline with age).

So how can the Singularity Institute reach out to young math/compsci talent? Perhaps surprisingly, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality is one of the best tools we have for this. It is read by a surprisingly large proportion of people in math and CS departments. Here are some other projects we have in the works:

Run SPARC, a summer program on rationality for high school students with exceptional math ability. Cost: roughly $30,000. (There won't be classes on x-risk at SPARC, but it will attract young talent toward efficient altruism in general.)
Print copies of the first few chapters of HPMoR cheaply in Taiwan, ship them here, distribute them to leading math and compsci departments. Cost estimate in progress.
Send copies of Global Catastrophic Risks to lists of bright young students. Cost estimate in progress.

Here are some things we could be doing if we had sufficient funding:

Sponsor and be present at events where young math/compsci talent gathers, e.g. TopCoder High School and the International Math Olympiad. Cost estimate in progress.
Cultivate a network of x-risk reducers with high mathematical ability, build a database of conversations for them to have with strategically important young math/compsci talent, schedule those conversations and develop a pipeline so that interested prospects have a "next person" to talk to. Cost estimate in progress.
Write Open Problems in Friendly AI, send it to interested parties so that even those who don't think AI risk is important will at least see "Ooh, look at these sexy, interesting problems I could work on!"

Series: How to Purchase AI Risk Reduction

Here is yet another way to purchase AI risk reduction...

Run SPARC, a summer program on rationality for high school students with exceptional math ability. Cost: roughly $30,000. (There won't be classes on x-risk at SPARC, but it will attract young talent toward efficient altruism in general.)
Print copies of the first few chapters of HPMoR cheaply in Taiwan, ship them here, distribute them to leading math and compsci departments. Cost estimate in progress.
Send copies of Global Catastrophic Risks to lists of bright young students. Cost estimate in progress.

Here are some things we could be doing if we had sufficient funding:

Sponsor and be present at events where young math/compsci talent gathers, e.g. TopCoder High School and the International Math Olympiad. Cost estimate in progress.
Cultivate a network of x-risk reducers with high mathematical ability, build a database of conversations for them to have with strategically important young math/compsci talent, schedule those conversations and develop a pipeline so that interested prospects have a "next person" to talk to. Cost estimate in progress.
Write Open Problems in Friendly AI, send it to interested parties so that even those who don't think AI risk is important will at least see "Ooh, look at these sexy, interesting problems I could work on!"

Read this today, "Rethinking Giftedness and Gifted Education: A Proposed Direction Forward Based on Psychological Science", which is very germane to this discussion.

Some special schools target a limited number of academic domains, and some focus on more general academic-talent development. The most intensive special schools existed in the Soviet bloc countries. According to Donoghue, Karp, and Vogeli (2000), Chubarikov and Pyryt (1993), and Grigorenko and Clinkenbeard (1994), the impetus for specialized science schools came in the late 1950s from distinguished scientists advocating for educational opportunities to develop future generations of scientists. In order to increase the geographical reach of the schools, several included boarding facilities. Admission to the schools was based on stringent criteria, including having already competed well in regional competitions. The faculty of these schools included pedagogically talented educators (Karp, 2010), and students had the opportunity to work with renowned professors as well. An example of one of these specialized institutions is the residential Kolmogorov School (Chubarikove & Pyryt, 1993), which enrolls 200 students per year from Russia, Belarus, and beyond. Selection was and continues to be based on a record of success in regional Olympiads. Professors from the prestigious Moscow State University serve as the faculty, the coursework is heavy and intense, and students are expected to conduct independent projects on topics of interest to them. Grigorenko and Clinkenbeard (1994) reported that students attending Soviet special schools were uncharacteristically (for the Soviet Union) encouraged to be intellectually aggressive and competitive. They added that the curriculum in these schools shortchanged the humanities and social sciences, focusing overwhelmingly on excellence in mathematics and science. Although the schools were often denigrated by Soviet educators and psychologists, who argued that outstanding achievement was achieved exclusively from hard work and commitment, these arguments were countered by famous scientific advocates (Donoghue et al., 2000). The schools, which continue to exist in some form today, have graduates on the faculties of the most prestigious institutions in Russia. However, many graduates of these schools are also found in the academic ranks of Western universities, leading Russian policy makers to question the value of further investment.

Donoghue, E. F., Karp, A., & Vogeli, B. R. (2000). Russian schools for the mathematically and scientifically talented: Can the vision survive unchanged? Roeper Review, 22, 121–123. doi:10.1080/02783190009554015

Chubarikove, V. N., & Pyryt, M. (1993). Educating mathematically gifted pupils at the Komogorov School. Gifted Education International, 9, 110–130

Grigorenko, E. L., & Clinkenbeard, P. R. (1994). An inside view of gifted education in Russia. Roeper Review, 16, 167–171. doi:10.1080/02783199409553566

Karp, A. (2010). Teachers of the mathematically gifted tell about themselves and their profession. Roeper Review, 32, 272–280. doi:10.1080/02783193.2010.485306

It also discusses athletics.

I studied in specialized soviet school (well, post soviet, but same teachers). It had tough entrance exam. I say in past tense because it was dismantled. The biggest thing about those is that we study deeper and with better understanding instead of skipping ahead to make prodigies that understand same topics equally badly but at earlier age, and never really become very competent at anything.

Also, on the humanities, while there may be less % of humanities, the students are smarter and go ahead faster and still retain/understand more than average at typical humanities course.