Part 11/16:
A dreaded argument suggests that AI research should halt entirely until perfect alignment is achieved. This is akin to a "Nirvana fallacy," asserting that since perfection is unattainable, further progress is unjustified. The speaker counters that no technology, from cars to airplanes, is perfect at inception—yet society continues to innovate and improve safety protocols.
Insisting on perfect alignment before building or deploying AI systems is impractical and stalls beneficial research. AI systems will always have some risk, but that doesn’t mean safety cannot be improved progressively. Delay only hampers understanding and the development of effective mitigation strategies.