(This question was born from my comment on a very excellent post, LOVE in a simbox is all you need by @jacob_cannell )
Why am I asking this question?
I am personally very troubled by what I would equate to human misalignment -- our deep divisions, our susceptibility to misinformation and manipulation, our inability to identify and act collectively in our best interests. I am further troubled by the deleterious effects that technology has had in that regard already (think social media), and would like to see efforts to not only produce AI that is ethical or aligned itself (which, don't get me wrong, I LOVE and find very encouraging), but also ensure that AI is being harnessed to offer humans the support they need to realign themselves, which is critical to achieving the ultimate goal of Alignment of the (Humans + AI) Collaboration as a whole.
However, that's just my current perspective. And while I think I have good reasons for it, I realize I have limitations -- both in knowledge and experience, and in my power to effect change. So, I'm curious to hear other perspectives that might help me become more right or just understand other viewpoints, or perhaps connect with others who are like-minded so we can figure out what we might be able to do about it together.
How is this practical?
If others here share my concerns and believe it is a significant threat that warrants action, I will likely have follow-on questions for discussion toward that end. For instance, I'd love to hear if there are efforts already being made that address my concerns. Or perhaps if anyone thinks that creating and deploying aligned AI will naturally help humans overcome those issues, I'd be curious to hear their thoughts. I have some ideas of my own too, but I'll save those at least until I've done a lot more listening and understanding first to establish some mutual understanding and trust.
TL;DR - I just recalled Google Jigsaw, which might be one effort to address my concerns. I would love to hear your thoughts on it if you are familiar.
(Read on below if you prefer the nuance)
As I was just rereading and making minor edits to my comment, and considering whether I needed to substantiate my statement about social divisions, I recalled that I had discovered Google's Project Jigsaw in March 2024, which seemed to be working on various smaller-scale initiatives intended to address these concerns using technology. When I checked it out again just now, I see they shifted their focus over the summer, which seems to be another positive step toward addressing my concerns. Particularly this:
Working with that team would be as close as I could imagine to a dream job, [1] and I believe I might be able to bring significant value. If you know anything about it, I'd love to hear your take on the work they are doing, and whether/how it might relate to the current discussion. Thanks!
It occurs to me I said something similar to Rohin Shah recently, which was completely sincere, but honestly Jigsaw is likely an even stronger mutual match. When I reflect on how Jigsaw could have possibly fallen off my radar, I have to admit it has been an extremely stressful year, there had been no open positions, and it appeared all positions were on-site in New York (a difficult proposition for my wife and kids), so I had forced myself to relegate that to perhaps a longer-term goal.