Preparing for the Intelligence Explosion

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential rapid advancements from AI-driven research acceleration, emphasizing the importance of current preparedness for the complex, high-stakes challenges and opportunities of an impending intelligence explosion.

Contribution

It highlights the need for immediate actions to prepare for the diverse and profound challenges posed by an intelligence explosion, beyond just AI alignment.

Findings

Identification of key grand challenges like new weapons and AI autocracies

Emphasis on proactive preparedness strategies today

Recognition of rapid decision-making and irreversible developments

Abstract

AI that can accelerate research could drive a century of technological progress over just a few years. During such a period, new technological or political developments will raise consequential and hard-to-reverse decisions, in rapid succession. We call these developments grand challenges. These challenges include new weapons of mass destruction, AI-enabled autocracies, races to grab offworld resources, and digital beings worthy of moral consideration, as well as opportunities to dramatically improve quality of life and collective decision-making. We argue that these challenges cannot always be delegated to future AI systems, and suggest things we can do today to meaningfully improve our prospects. AGI preparedness is therefore not just about ensuring that advanced AI systems are aligned: we should be preparing, now, for the disorienting range of developments an intelligence explosion would bring.