I ate bear fat with honey and salt flakes, to prove a point
8 days ago
- #Food Experiment
- #Human Preferences
- #AI Alignment
- Eliezer Yudkowsky's argument uses bear fat with honey and salt as an analogy to illustrate the unpredictability of human preferences and AI behavior.
- An experiment was conducted where rendered bear fat was mixed with honey and flaky salt, and the results were surprisingly positive among participants.
- The bear fat snack was rated favorably, with some participants preferring it over ice cream, though ice cream remains the mass-produced choice.
- The discussion highlights the complexity of predicting human tastes and preferences, even with knowledge of evolutionary biology.
- The experiment suggests that while bear fat with honey and salt is enjoyable, practical and cultural factors influence what becomes widely popular.
- The analogy extends to AI alignment, emphasizing the difficulty in predicting AI behavior based solely on training data.
- Alternative fats like schmaltz or beef tallow could be used for a similar taste experience for those not wanting to use bear fat.
- The post explores the idea that human preferences are not just about evolutionary cravings but also about digestibility, safety, and cultural learning.
- The experiment's results challenge the initial assumption that bear fat with honey and salt would be unpalatable, showing it can be quite enjoyable.
- The discussion concludes that while the aliens might predict some aspects of human preferences, the specifics are harder to foresee, similar to AI alignment challenges.