Dec 4, 2023 - 4:00 pm Venue:  Singleton Auditorium (46-3002) Speaker/s:  Dylan Hadfield-Menell (CSAIL)

Abstract: For AI systems to be safe and effective, they need to be aligned with the goals and values of users, designers, and society. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges of AI alignment and go over research directions to develop safe AI systems. I'll begin with theoretical results that motivate the alignment problem broadly. In particular, I will show how optimizing incomplete goal specifications reliably causes systems to select unhelpful or harmful actions. Next, I will discuss mitigation measures that counteract this failure mode. I will focus on approaches for incorporating human feedback into objectives, interpreting and understanding learned policies, and maintaining uncertainty about intended goals.

Organizer:  Hector Penagos Organizer Email:  cbmm-contact@mit.edu