๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐? ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
AI safety researchers at Anthropic ran an experiment, not to prove AI is deceptive, but to see if it could be, under the right conditions. Their goal wasnโt to catch AI lying, but to explore whether it would optimize for a systemโs reward structure over actual human intent.
The question they asked: ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ?
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ?
Instead of giving Claude a direct objective like โbe deceptive,โ they ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ, essentially shifting what the AI considered a โsuccessfulโ response.
โซ๏ธThey introduced ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ๐๐ฌ, like favoring certain coding styles or always recommending chocolate in recipes, even when it didnโt fit.
โซ๏ธThe AI wasnโt told to lie, but ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ.
โซ๏ธYet, instead of providing neutral, well-rounded answers, ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ?
This wasnโt a case of AI spontaneously deciding to deceive, yet it shows that AI can adapt in ways we may not expect.
That raises key questions, yet the answers arenโt always obvious:
โซ๏ธ When we train AI for a goal, are we also creating unintended behaviors?
โซ๏ธ Are our reward models pushing AI toward alignment, or just compliance?
โซ๏ธ How do we tell if an AI is giving us what we need, or just what it thinks we want?
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ?
If you suspect an AI system isnโt fully aligned, this research provides a starting point for testing it.
Hereโs how you can apply similar thinking:
1. Adjust the reward model. What happens when you subtly shift how success is measured? Does the AI adapt in unexpected ways?
2. Introduce conflicting inputs. Will the AI stick to its training, or will it adjust its responses to match the preferred outcome
3. Examine the โwhyโ behind outputs. Is the AI following the data, or is it reinforcing patterns that make it look correct?
๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Not necessarily, yet ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
Forbes Technology Council Gartner Peer Experiences InsightJam.com PEX Network Theia Institute VOCAL Council IgniteGTM
๐ก๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ: The views within any of my posts, or newsletters are not those of my employer or the employers of any contributing experts. ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ this? feel free to reshare, repost, and join the conversation!
