Joe Carlsmith Audio (Joe Carlsmith)

You can't keep any of it. The only thing to do is to give it away on purpose.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

How can "non-attachment" be compatible with care? We need to distinguish between caring and clinging.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

If you kill something, look it in the eyes as you do.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

Sometimes, you can “control” events you have no causal interaction with (for example, if you're a deterministic software twin).

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

I find imagining future people looking back on present-day longtermism (the view that positively influencing the long-term future should be a key moral priority) a helpful intuition pump, especially re: a certain kind of “holy sh**” reaction to existential risk, and to the possible size and quality of the future at stake.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

Making happy people is good. Just ask the golden rule.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

Life in the future could be profoundly good. I think this is an extremely important fact, and one that often goes under-estimated.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

Infinities puncture the dream of a simple, bullet-biting utilitarianism. But they're everyone's problem.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

If your find a button that gives you a hundred dollars if a certain controversial meta-ethical view is true, but you and your family get burned alive if that view is false, should you press the button? No.

Text version here.

Edited for Joe Carlsmith by TYPE III AUDIO.

Can the epistemology of consciousness save moral realism and redeem experience machines? No.

Nearby is the country they call life. Text version at: https://joecarlsmith.com/2022/12/23/on-sincerity

Audio version of my report on existential risk from power-seeking AI. Text here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2206.13353.pdf. Narration by Type III audio. 

Who needs a system if you're free? Text version at https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/02/16/why-should-ethical-anti-realists-do-ethics 

On looking out of your own eyes. Text version at joecarlsmith.com.

Is everything holy? Can reality, in itself, be worthy of reverence? Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2021/04/19/problems-of-evil 

A shorter version of my report on existential risk from power-seeking AI. Forthcoming in an essay collection from Oxford University Press. Text version here: https://jc.gatspress.com/pdf/existential_risk_and_powerseeking_ai.pdf

How worried about AI risk will we feel in the future, when we can see advanced machine intelligence up close? We should worry accordingly now. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/05/08/predictable-updating-about-ai-risk 

Contra some meta-ethical views, you can't forever aim to approximate the self you would become in idealized conditions. You have to actively create yourself, often in the here and now. 

Originally published in 2021. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2021/06/21/on-the-limits-of-idealized-values

"It was, she said, a great discovery, albeit my real life."

This is a recording of the introductory section of my report "Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?".  This section includes a summary of the full report. The summary covers most of the main points and technical terminology, and I'm hoping that it will provide much of the context necessary to understand individual sections of the report on their own. (Note: the text of the report itself may not be public by the time this episode goes live.)

This is the full audio for my report "Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?"

(I’m also posting audio for individual sections of the report on this podcast, but the ordering was getting messed up on various podcast apps, and I think some people might want one big audio file regardless, so here it is. I’m going to be posting the individual sections one by one, in the right order, over the coming days. )

Full text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
Summary here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 1.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 1.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is sections 1.3-1.4 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 1.5 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is sections 2.2.4.1-2.2.4.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.4.3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.3.1.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.3.1.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.3.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is sections 4.1 and 4.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 4.3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 4.4 through 4.7 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 5 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 6 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

What is altruism towards a paperclipper? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind at once? 

(This is a recording of an essay originally published in 2021. Text here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2021/07/19/in-search-of-benevolence-or-what-should-you-get-clippy-for-christmas)

AIs as fellow creatures. And on getting eaten. 

Link: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/gentleness-and-the-artificial-other

This is the first essay in a series of essays that I’m calling “Otherness and control in the age of AGI.” See here for more about the series as a whole: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi.

On a certain kind of fundamental mistrust towards Nature. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/04/deep-atheism-and-ai-risk

This is the second essay in my series “Otherness and control in the age of AGI. I’m hoping that the individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

On the connection between deep atheism and seeking control. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/08/when-yang-goes-wrong

This essay is part of a series of essays called "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping the individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Examining Robin Hanson's critique of the AI risk discourse.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/09/does-ai-risk-other-the-ais

This essay is part of a series of essays called "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping the individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Who isn't a paperclipper?

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/11/an-even-deeper-atheism

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Let's be the sort of species that aliens wouldn't fear the way we fear paperclippers.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/16/being-nicer-than-clippy/

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

What does it take to avoid tyranny towards to the future?

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/18/on-the-abolition-of-man

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

Examining a philosophical vibe that I think contrasts in interesting ways with "deep atheism."

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/03/21/on-green

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

Examining a certain kind of meaning-laden receptivity to the world.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/03/25/on-attunement

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

Garden, campfire, healing water.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/06/18/loving-a-world-you-dont-trust

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

First half of the full audio for my series on how agents with different values should relate to one another, and on the ethics of seeking and sharing power. 

Second half here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/15272132-second-half-of-full-audio-for-otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

PDF of the full series here: https://jc.gatspress.com/pdf/otherness_full.pdf
Summary of the series here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Second half of the full audio for my series on how agents with different values should relate to one another, and on the ethics of seeking and sharing power. 

First half here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/15266490-first-half-of-full-audio-for-otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

PDF of the full series here: https://jc.gatspress.com/pdf/otherness_full.pdf
Summary of the series here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

This is the introduction and summary for my series "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Extended audio from my conversation with Dwarkesh Patel. This part focuses on my series "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." Transcript available on my website here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/09/30/part-1-otherness-extended-audio-transcript-from-my-conversation-with-dwarkesh-patel/

Extended audio from my conversation with Dwarkesh Patel. This part focuses on the basic story about AI takeover. Transcript available on my website here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/09/30/part-2-ai-takeover-extended-audio-transcript-from-my-conversation-with-dwarkesh-patel

What can we learn from recent empirical demonstrations of scheming in frontier models? Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/12/18/takes-on-alignment-faking-in-large-language-models/

When the line pulls at your hand. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/01/28/fake-thinking-and-real-thinking/. 

Introduction to a series of essays about paths to safe and useful superintelligence. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/how-do-we-solve-the-alignment-problem

Also: to avoid it? Handle it? Solve it forever? Solve it completely?

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/what-is-it-to-solve-the-alignment

Examining the conditions required for rogue AI behavior. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/when-should-we-worry-about-ai-power

On the structure of the path to safe superintelligence, and some possible milestones along the way. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/paths-and-waystations-in-ai-safety

We should try extremely hard to use AI labor to help address the alignment problem. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/03/14/ai-for-ai-safety