Best Blue Dot Impact Podcasts (2024)

1
114. Why You Can't Get a Restaurant Reservation - Bots May Have Something to Do With It 53:00

2d ago53:00

53:00

SummaryIn this episode, the hosts discuss various topics including Chris' recent wedding, changes in Adobe's terms and conditions, and the practice of scalping restaurant reservations. They explore the implications of Adobe's attempt to own the intellectual property of content created on their software and the backlash they faced. They also delve i…

1
Eliciting Latent Knowledge 1:00:27

11d ago1:00:27

1:00:27

In this post, we’ll present ARC’s approach to an open problem we think is central to aligning powerful machine learning (ML) systems: Suppose we train a model to predict what the future will look like according to cameras and other sensors. We then use planning algorithms to find a sequence of actions that lead to predicted futures that look good t…

1
Deep Double Descent 8:27

11d ago8:27

8:27

We show that the double descent phenomenon occurs in CNNs, ResNets, and transformers: performance first improves, then gets worse, and then improves again with increasing model size, data size, or training time. This effect is often avoided through careful regularization. While this behavior appears to be fairly universal, we don’t yet fully unders…

1
Intro to Brain-Like-AGI Safety 1:02:10

11d ago1:02:10

1:02:10

(Sections 3.1-3.4, 6.1-6.2, and 7.1-7.5) Suppose we someday build an Artificial General Intelligence algorithm using similar principles of learning and cognition as the human brain. How would we use such an algorithm safely? I will argue that this is an open technical problem, and my goal in this post series is to bring readers with no prior knowle…

1
Chinchilla’s Wild Implications 24:57

11d ago24:57

24:57

This post is about language model scaling laws, specifically the laws derived in the DeepMind paper that introduced Chinchilla. The paper came out a few months ago, and has been discussed a lot, but some of its implications deserve more explicit notice in my opinion. In particular: Data, not size, is the currently active constraint on language mode…

1
Least-To-Most Prompting Enables Complex Reasoning in Large Language Models 16:08

11d ago16:08

16:08

Chain-of-thought prompting has demonstrated remarkable performance on various natural language reasoning tasks. However, it tends to perform poorly on tasks which requires solving problems harder than the exemplars shown in the prompts. To overcome this challenge of easy-to-hard generalization, we propose a novel prompting strategy, least-to-most p…

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Low-Stakes Alignment 13:56

11d ago13:56

13:56

Right now I’m working on finding a good objective to optimize with ML, rather than trying to make sure our models are robustly optimizing that objective. (This is roughly “outer alignment.”) That’s pretty vague, and it’s not obvious whether “find a good objective” is a meaningful goal rather than being inherently confused or sweeping key distinctio…

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Imitative Generalisation (AKA ‘Learning the Prior’) 18:14

11d ago18:14

18:14

This post tries to explain a simplified version of Paul Christiano’s mechanism introduced here, (referred to there as ‘Learning the Prior’) and explain why a mechanism like this potentially addresses some of the safety problems with naïve approaches. First we’ll go through a simple example in a familiar domain, then explain the problems with the ex…

1
Two-Turn Debate Doesn’t Help Humans Answer Hard Reading Comprehension Questions 16:39

11d ago16:39

16:39

Using hard multiple-choice reading comprehension questions as a testbed, we assess whether presenting humans with arguments for two competing answer options, where one is correct and the other is incorrect, allows human judges to perform more accurately, even when one of the arguments is unreliable and deceptive. If this is helpful, we may be able …

1
Discovering Latent Knowledge in Language Models Without Supervision 37:09

11d ago37:09

37:09

Abstract: Existing techniques for training language models can be misaligned with the truth: if we train models with imitation learning, they may reproduce errors that humans make; if we train them to generate text that humans rate highly, they may output errors that human evaluators can't detect. We propose circumventing this issue by directly fin…

1
An Investigation of Model-Free Planning 8:11

11d ago8:11

8:11

The field of reinforcement learning (RL) is facing increasingly challenging domains with combinatorial complexity. For an RL agent to address these challenges, it is essential that it can plan effectively. Prior work has typically utilized an explicit model of the environment, combined with a specific planning algorithm (such as tree search). More …

1
Empirical Findings Generalize Surprisingly Far 11:32

11d ago11:32

11:32

Previously, I argued that emergent phenomena in machine learning mean that we can’t rely on current trends to predict what the future of ML will be like. In this post, I will argue that despite this, empirical findings often do generalize very far, including across “phase transitions” caused by emergent behavior. This might seem like a contradictio…

1
ABS: Scanning Neural Networks for Back-Doors by Artificial Brain Stimulation 16:08

11d ago16:08

16:08

This paper presents a technique to scan neural network based AI models to determine if they are trojaned. Pre-trained AI models may contain back-doors that are injected through training or by transforming inner neuron weights. These trojaned models operate normally when regular inputs are provided, and mis-classify to a specific output label when t…

1
Toy Models of Superposition 41:43

11d ago41:43

41:43

It would be very convenient if the individual neurons of artificial neural networks corresponded to cleanly interpretable features of the input. For example, in an “ideal” ImageNet classifier, each neuron would fire only in the presence of a specific visual feature, such as the color red, a left-facing curve, or a dog snout. Empirically, in models …

1
Gradient Hacking: Definitions and Examples 9:15

11d ago9:15

9:15

Gradient hacking is a hypothesized phenomenon where: A model has knowledge about possible training trajectories which isn’t being used by its training algorithms when choosing updates (such as knowledge about non-local features of its loss landscape which aren’t taken into account by local optimization algorithms). The model uses that knowledge to …

1
Compute Trends Across Three Eras of Machine Learning 13:50

15d ago13:50

13:50

This article explains key drivers of AI progress, explains how compute is calculated, as well as looks at how the amount of compute used to train AI models has increased significantly in recent years. Original text: https://epochai.org/blog/compute-trends Author(s): Jaime Sevilla, Lennart Heim, Anson Ho, Tamay Besiroglu, Marius Hobbhahn, Pablo Vill…

1
Worst-Case Thinking in AI Alignment 11:35

1M ago11:35

11:35

Alternative title: “When should you assume that what could go wrong, will go wrong?” Thanks to Mary Phuong and Ryan Greenblatt for helpful suggestions and discussion, and Akash Wasil for some edits. In discussions of AI safety, people often propose the assumption that something goes as badly as possible. Eliezer Yudkowsky in particular has argued f…

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113. The Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy & Confirmation Bias - Facts to Suit Theories Instead of Theories to Suit Facts 53:44

1M ago53:44

53:44

In this episode, the hosts discuss the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy, which is when outcomes are analyzed out of context, giving the illusion of causation rather than attributing the outcome to chance. They provide examples of this fallacy, such as the alcohol industry pushing back on labels that state alcohol causes cancer. They also touch on the nar…

1
How to Get Feedback 7:30

2M ago7:30

7:30

Feedback is essential for learning. Whether you’re studying for a test, trying to improve in your work or want to master a difficult skill, you need feedback. The challenge is that feedback can often be hard to get. Worse, if you get bad feedback, you may end up worse than before. Original text: https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2019/01/24/how-to-ge…

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Public by Default: How We Manage Information Visibility at Get on Board 9:50

2M ago9:50

9:50

I’ve been obsessed with managing information, and communications in a remote team since Get on Board started growing. Reducing the bus factor is a primary motivation — but another just as important is diminishing reliance on synchronicity. When what I know is documented and accessible to others, I’m less likely to be a bottleneck for anyone else in…

1
Writing, Briefly 3:09

2M ago3:09

3:09

(In the process of answering an email, I accidentally wrote a tiny essay about writing. I usually spend weeks on an essay. This one took 67 minutes—23 of writing, and 44 of rewriting.) Original text: https://paulgraham.com/writing44.html Author: Paul Graham A podcast by BlueDot Impact. Learn more on the AI Safety Fundamentals website.…

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112. Sell in May & Go Away -- Chicken or the Egg? 52:00

2M ago52:00

52:00

In this episode, the hosts discuss the adage 'sell in May and go away' and its implications for the stock market. They explore the historical underperformance of the stock market during the summer months and the potential reasons behind it. They also touch on the impact of the presidential election cycle on stock market performance. The hosts cauti…

1
Being the (Pareto) Best in the World 6:46

2M ago6:46

6:46

This introduces the concept of Pareto frontiers. The top comment by Rob Miles also ties it to comparative advantage. While reading, consider what Pareto frontiers your project could place you on. Original text: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/XvN2QQpKTuEzgkZHY/being-the-pareto-best-in-the-world Author: John Wentworth A podcast by BlueDot Impact. Le…

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111. Recruiting Games: Companies Are Recruiting Earlier; Why Game Play Can Help Find Talent 54:46

2M ago54:46

54:46

In this episode, the guys talk about how early major firms are beginning their recruiting process and whether it's possible for game theory to apply to the hiring process. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gametheory/message

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s04e07 - Nuclear SMR - Has the technology’s moment finally arrived? 55:31

2M ago55:31

55:31

In this discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024), Bret Kugelmass, the CEO and co-founder of the nuclear fission startup Last Energy, which focuses on developing small nuclear reactors, talks about: The potential of nuclear power to provide abundant, inexpensive energy with minimal environmental impact. Kugelmass emphasizes n…

1
s04e06 - CVCs Doubling Down on Climate, with Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, GS Ventures and Honda Innovations 1:00:12

2M ago1:00:12

1:00:12

In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) moderated by Dr. Pae Wu of IndieBio and SOSV, corporate venture capitalists Brandon Middaugh from Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Taehong Huh from GS Futures, and Aditya Sharma from Honda Innovations discussed their strategies for investing in climate tech startups.…

1
s04e05 - Should VCs Measure and Attribute Climate Impact, with Norrsken VC, Planet A, AENU, World Fund and Pale Blue Dot 1:04:17

2M ago1:04:17

1:04:17

In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) focused on measuring and attributing climate impact and moderated by Hampus Jakobsson of Pale Blue Dot, investors from various climate tech-focused funds discussed the importance of impact measurement in startups and investment decisions. The challenges and methodologies…

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s04e04 - After the Tumble: Climate VC In 2024 With Breakthrough Energy, Lowercarbon and SOSV 53:44

2M ago53:44

53:44

In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) moderated by Tim De Chant, Senior Climate Reporter at TechCrunch, panelists Christina Karapataki from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Shuo Yang from Lowercarbon Capital, and Duncan Turner from HAX and SOSV discussed the current state and future of climate tech venture capi…

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s04e03 - Keeping the Heat On: Antora Energy’s Thermal Batteries Plan to Solve For Industrial Heat 57:39

2M ago57:39

57:39

In this discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024), Andrew Ponec, Co-founder and CEO of Antora Energy, discusses with Casey Crownhart, Climate Reporter at MIT Technology Review, the challenges and innovations in industrial heating. Antora Energy is electrifying heavy industry with thermal energy storage and raised over 200 mil…

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s04e02 - Dressing for Climate Success: Three Startups Decarbonizing Fashion, with unspun, Smartex and Gozen 1:00:26

2M ago1:00:26

1:00:26

In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) moderated by Dr. Sabriya Stukes, Chief Scientific Officer at SOSV's IndieBio New York program, founders Beth Esponnette of unspun, Gilberto Loureiro of SMARTEX, and Onur Eren of GOZEN discussed innovative approaches to sustainable fashion. The conversation focused on lev…

1
s04e01 - Can Form Energy meet the rapidly growing demand of grid-level, long-duration energy storage? 1:01:13

2M ago1:01:13

1:01:13

In this discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024), the CEO and co-founder of Form Energy, Mateo Jaramillo, talks about: Form Energy's advancements in energy storage, with their unique iron-air battery technology designed for multi-day energy storage, which is more cost-effective and durable than traditional lithium-ion batter…

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110. Pizza Meter - How Pizza Orders Predict War & Waffle House Index - They Unofficial FEMA Designation 47:30

2M ago47:30

47:30

Summary The conversation discusses the concept of the pizza meter, which suggests that an increase in pizza orders from government buildings can be indicative of important political or military events. The pizza meter has been observed to predict events such as the invasion of Grenada and Panama. The Pentagon has attempted to combat the pizza meter…

1
How to Succeed as an Early-Stage Researcher: The “Lean Startup” Approach 15:16

2M ago15:16

15:16

I am approaching the end of my AI governance PhD, and I’ve spent about 2.5 years as a researcher at FHI. During that time, I’ve learnt a lot about the formula for successful early-career research. This post summarises my advice for people in the first couple of years. Research is really hard, and I want people to avoid the mistakes I’ve made. Origi…

1
Bridging Worlds with Hilvert Timmer: Making Magic, Embracing Senseful Chaos, Exploring Permaculture, Chachi Warmi, and Fusion of Medicines from the North & South 1:19:55

2M ago1:19:55

1:19:55

Hailing from the Netherlands and now a permanent resident in Bolivia, Hilvert Timmer wears many hats – He is an economist-anthropologist, a passionate researcher of indigenous traditions, a permaculturist, and a consciousness consultant. Hilvert co-founded Quinta Conciencia, a retreat centre dedicated to spreading knowledge and practices that promo…

1
Democratizing Carbon Offsetting 19:47

2M ago19:47

19:47

This week James chats with Tom Herman, CEO of Mata Carbon, a company focused on empowering brands to commit authentically to sustainability while also maximizing their revenue to help make sustainability more appealing to companies.By James Atfield

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109. Spotify's Stream Farm Problem & Amazon's Fake Walk-Out Stores 50:20

2M ago50:20

50:20

Summary The conversation explores the fraudulent practices of buying followers and streams in the music industry and social media platforms. It discusses the incentives for marketing firms to manipulate engagement numbers and the challenges of creating a level playing field. The conversation also touches on the impact of these practices on the broa…

1
Become a Person who Actually Does Things 5:14

2M ago5:14

5:14

The next four weeks of the course are an opportunity for you to actually build a thing that moves you closer to contributing to AI Alignment, and we're really excited to see what you do! A common failure mode is to think "Oh, I can't actually do X" or to say "Someone else is probably doing Y." You probably can do X, and it's unlikely anyone is doin…

1
Planning a High-Impact Career: A Summary of Everything You Need to Know in 7 Points 11:02

3M ago11:02

11:02

We took 10 years of research and what we’ve learned from advising 1,000+ people on how to build high-impact careers, compressed that into an eight-week course to create your career plan, and then compressed that into this three-page summary of the main points. (It’s especially aimed at people who want a career that’s both satisfying and has a signi…

1
Working in AI Alignment 1:08:44

3M ago1:08:44

1:08:44

This guide is written for people who are considering direct work on technical AI alignment. I expect it to be most useful for people who are not yet working on alignment, and for people who are already familiar with the arguments for working on AI alignment. If you aren’t familiar with the arguments for the importance of AI alignment, you can get a…

1
Computing Power and the Governance of AI 26:49

3M ago26:49

26:49

This post summarises a new report, “Computing Power and the Governance of Artificial Intelligence.” The full report is a collaboration between nineteen researchers from academia, civil society, and industry. It can be read here. GovAI research blog posts represent the views of their authors, rather than the views of the organisation. Source: https:…

1
Challenges in Evaluating AI Systems 22:33

3M ago22:33

22:33

Most conversations around the societal impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) come down to discussing some quality of an AI system, such as its truthfulness, fairness, potential for misuse, and so on. We are able to talk about these characteristics because we can technically evaluate models for their performance in these areas. But what many peopl…

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AI Control: Improving Safety Despite Intentional Subversion 20:51

3M ago20:51

20:51

We’ve released a paper, AI Control: Improving Safety Despite Intentional Subversion. This paper explores techniques that prevent AI catastrophes even if AI instances are colluding to subvert the safety techniques. In this post: We summarize the paper; We compare our methodology to the methodology of other safety papers. Source: https://www.alignmen…

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AI Watermarking Won’t Curb Disinformation 8:05

3M ago8:05

8:05

Generative AI allows people to produce piles upon piles of images and words very quickly. It would be nice if there were some way to reliably distinguish AI-generated content from human-generated content. It would help people avoid endlessly arguing with bots online, or believing what a fake image purports to show. One common proposal is that big c…

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Emerging Processes for Frontier AI Safety 18:20

3M ago18:20

18:20

The UK recognises the enormous opportunities that AI can unlock across our economy and our society. However, without appropriate guardrails, such technologies can pose significant risks. The AI Safety Summit will focus on how best to manage the risks from frontier AI such as misuse, loss of control and societal harms. Frontier AI organisations play…

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108. AI-Generated Content: Sports Illustrated's Scandal; Gothika Cover; The Library of Babel 1:01:33

3M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

SummaryIn this conversation, the hosts discuss various topics, including the New York State salary listing requirement, the impact of AI on creative expression, the importance of a paper co-authored by prominent thinkers in foreign policy, the revolutionary change brought about by nuclear weapons, and the use of AI in music and art. They also explo…

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Interpretability in the Wild: A Circuit for Indirect Object Identification in GPT-2 Small 24:48

3M ago24:48

24:48

Research in mechanistic interpretability seeks to explain behaviors of machine learning (ML) models in terms of their internal components. However, most previous work either focuses on simple behaviors in small models or describes complicated behaviors in larger models with broad strokes. In this work, we bridge this gap by presenting an explanatio…

1
Zoom In: An Introduction to Circuits 44:03

3M ago44:03

44:03

By studying the connections between neurons, we can find meaningful algorithms in the weights of neural networks. Many important transition points in the history of science have been moments when science “zoomed in.” At these points, we develop a visualization or tool that allows us to see the world in a new level of detail, and a new field of scie…

1
Towards Monosemanticity: Decomposing Language Models With Dictionary Learning 8:53

3M ago8:53

8:53

Using a sparse autoencoder, we extract a large number of interpretable features from a one-layer transformer. Mechanistic interpretability seeks to understand neural networks by breaking them into components that are more easily understood than the whole. By understanding the function of each component, and how they interact, we hope to be able to …

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107. John Von Neumann - Father of Game Theory, Nuclear Scientist, Super Genius 59:46

3M ago59:46

59:46

In this episode, Nick and Chris discuss their hiatus and receive feedback on their Match Day episode. They then introduce John von Neumann, a mathematician, physicist, computer scientist, and polymath who made significant contributions to game theory. We discuss his biography, academic career, and collaborations with other intellectual giants. They…

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Weak-To-Strong Generalization: Eliciting Strong Capabilities With Weak Supervision 35:05

3M ago35:05

35:05

Widely used alignment techniques, such as reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), rely on the ability of humans to supervise model behavior—for example, to evaluate whether a model faithfully followed instructions or generated safe outputs. However, future superhuman models will behave in complex ways too difficult for humans to reliably…

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