Today’s “machine learning” systems, trained through data, are so effective that they have been called upon to see and hear on our behalf—and to decide for us. However, concerns are growing. In recent years, there has been an explosion of worry as the field of machine learning progresses. When the systems we try to train ultimately do not perform as we want or expect, ethical and potentially existential risks arise. Researchers refer to this phenomenon as the alignment problem. Systems filter resumes only for us to discover, years later, that they have ingrained gender biases. Algorithms decide on bail and parole—and seem to evaluate defendants differently based on their nationality. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical examinations, will be reviewed by human eyes. As autonomous vehicles share our roads, we are putting our lives in their hands. The mathematical and computational models that drive these changes range in complexity from those that can fit into a spreadsheet to complex systems that can reasonably be characterized as “artificial intelligence.” They are gradually replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software. In Brian Christian’s captivating discourse, we are introduced to the “first responders” of the alignment problem, and learn of their ambitious plan to solve it before we ultimately take our hands off the wheel. With an excellent mix of history and immediate relevance, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and explores its extensive current frontier. Readers encounter a discipline that is finding its footing amid exciting and sometimes frightening developments. Whether we succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem, it will be a defining human story. “The Alignment Problem” offers a relentless confrontation with humanity’s biases and blind spots, our own unspoken assumptions, and often contradictory goals. A remarkably interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but also at our culture—and finds a story that alternates between terrifying and hopeful.
Manufacturer
- Author
- Brian Christian
- Publisher
- WW Norton & Co
- Type
- Technology
- Language
- English
- Subtitle
- -
- Cover
- Soft
- Number of Pages
- 496
- Release Date
- 05/10/2021
- Publication Date
- 2021
- Dimensions
- 14x21.1 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780393868333
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