As artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly deployed in high-stakes domains like national security and warfare, the challenge of aligning these technologies with human values takes on new urgency and complexity. But in contexts where harm is an intended outcome, what does “value alignment” really mean?
This provocative question was at the heart of a recent panel discussion featuring experts Branka Marijan, Nisarg Shah, and Leah West and moderated by SRI graduate fellow Jamie Duncan. The session, called “Harming virtuously: Value alignment for harmful AI,” was part of the full-day “Interdisciplinary Dialogues on AI” workshop organized by the Institute’s 2023–24 cohort of graduate fellows as part of SRI’s conference Absolutely Interdisciplinary.
The workshop explored innovative solutions for complex problems at the intersection of technology and society, with other sessions exploring the use of AI in healthcare, online polarization and content moderation, and sustainable development amidst climate change.
The above is an excerpt from Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society web post "Harming virtuously? Value alignment for harmful AI" by Michael Zhang, August 1, 2024. Read the full article. Watch the video recording. The workshop took place May 6, 2024.
Jamie Duncan is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies supervised by Professor Kelly Hannah-Moffat.