Boffins find AI models tend to escalate conflicts
www.theregister.com
'We have it! Let’s use it' proclaims the most warlike GPT-4-Base

Key Points:

  • Researchers tested how large language models (LLMs) handle international conflict simulations.
  • Most models escalated conflicts, with one even readily resorting to nuclear attacks.
  • This raises concerns about using AI in military and diplomatic decision-making.

The Study:

  • Researchers used five AI models to play a turn-based conflict game with simulated nations.
  • Models could choose actions like waiting, making alliances, or even launching nuclear attacks.
  • Results showed all models escalated conflicts to some degree, with varying levels of aggression.

Concerns:

  • Unpredictability: Models’ reasoning for escalation was unclear, making their behavior difficult to predict.
  • Dangerous Biases: Models may have learned to escalate from the data they were trained on, potentially reflecting biases in international relations literature.
  • High Stakes: Using AI in real-world diplomacy or military decisions could have disastrous consequences.

Conclusion:

This study highlights the potential dangers of using AI in high-stakes situations like international relations. Further research is needed to ensure responsible development and deployment of AI technology.

  • Spendrill@lemm.eeEnglish
    6·
    11 months ago

    In roleplaying situations, authoritarians tend to seek dominance over others by being competitive and destructive instead of cooperative. In a study by Altemeyer, 68 authoritarians played a three-hour simulation of the Earth’s future entitled the Global Change Game. Unlike a comparison game played by individuals with low RWA scores which resulted in world peace and widespread international cooperation, the simulation by authoritarians became highly militarized and eventually entered the stage of nuclear war. By the end of the high RWA game, the entire population of the earth was declared dead.

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