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The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values 1st Edition

by Brian Christian (Author)

4.6 568 ratings

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Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize

A jaw-dropping exploration of everything that goes wrong when we build AI systems and the movement to fix them.

Today’s “machine-learning” systems, trained by data, are so effective that we’ve invited them to see and hear for us―and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem.

Systems cull résumés until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole―and appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And as autonomous vehicles share our streets, we are increasingly putting our lives in their hands.

The mathematical and computational models driving these changes range in complexity from something that can fit on a spreadsheet to a complex system that might credibly be called “artificial intelligence.” They are steadily replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software.

In best-selling author Brian Christian’s riveting account, we meet the alignment problem’s “first-responders,” and learn their ambitious plan to solve it before our hands are completely off the wheel. In a masterful blend of history and on-the ground reporting, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and surveys its current, sprawling frontier. Readers encounter a discipline finding its legs amid exhilarating and sometimes terrifying progress. Whether they―and we―succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem will be a defining human story.

The Alignment Problem offers an unflinching reckoning with humanity’s biases and blind spots, our own unstated assumptions and often contradictory goals. A dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but at our culture―and finds a story by turns harrowing and hopeful.

From the Publisher

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

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"The disconnect between intention and results―between what mathematician Norbert Wiener described as “the purpose put into the machine” and “the purpose we really desire”―defines the essence of “the alignment problem.” Brian Christian, an accomplished technology writer, offers a nuanced and captivating exploration of this white-hot topic, giving us along the way a survey of the state of machine learning and of the challenges it faces."
― David A. Shaywitz, Wall Street Journal

"A fascinating, provocative, and insightful tour of all the ways that AI goes wrong and all the ways people are trying to fix it. Essential reading if you want to understand where our world is heading."
― Stuart Russell, professor of computer science, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Human Compatible

"A new field has emerged that responds to and scrutinizes the vast technological shifts represented by our modern, virtual, algorithmically defined world. In The Alignment Problem, Brian Christian masterfully surveys the ‘AI fairness’ community, introducing us to some of its main characters; some of its historical roots in science, philosophy, and activism; and crucially, many of its philosophical quandaries and limitations."
― Cathy O’Neil, author of Weapons of Math Destruction

"This is the book on artificial intelligence we need right now. Brian Christian takes us on a technically fluent (yet widely accessible) journey through the most important questions facing AI and humanity. It is thought-provoking and vital reading for anyone interested in our future."
― Mike Krieger, cofounder of Instagram

"An abundantly researched and captivating book that explores the road humanity has taken to create a successor for itself―a road that’s rich with surprising discoveries, unexpected obstacles, ingenious solutions and, increasingly, hard questions about the soul of our species."
― Jaan Tallinn, cofounder of Skype and the Future of Life Institute

"The Alignment Problem should be required reading for anyone influencing policy where algorithms are in play―which is everywhere. But unlike much required reading, the book is a delight to read, a playful romp through personalities and relatable snippets of science history that put the choices of our present moment into context."
― Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America and former deputy CTO of the United States

"A deeply enjoyable and meticulously researched account of how computer scientists and philosophers are defining the biggest question of our time: how will we create intelligent machines that will improve our lives rather than complicate or even destroy them? There’s no better book than The Alignment Problem at spelling out the issues of governing AI safely."
― James Barrat, best-selling author of Our Final Invention

"Brian Christian is a fine writer and has produced a fascinating book. AI seems destined to become, for good or ill, increasingly prominent in our lives. We should be grateful for this balanced and hype-free perspective on its scope and limits."
― Martin Rees, emeritus professor of cosmology and astrophysics, University of Cambridge

"An intriguing exploration of AI, which is advancing faster than―well, than we are."
― Kirkus Reviews

"...clear and compelling...The storytelling here moves us from the theoretical to the practical while attempting to answer one of our industry's most pressing questions: How do we teach machines, and what should we teach them?"
― Satya Nadella, Fast Company

About the Author

Brian Christian is the author of the acclaimed bestsellers The Most Human Human and Algorithms to Live By, which have been translated into nineteen languages. A visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, he lives in San Francisco.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (October 6, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393635821
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393635829
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.66 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.7 x 9.6 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #840,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,614 in Artificial Intelligence & Semantics
- #2,108 in Cognitive Psychology (Books)
- #3,040 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 568 ratings

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Brian Christian

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Brian Christian is the author of the acclaimed bestsellers "The Most Human Human," a New York Times editors’ choice and a New Yorker favorite book of the year, and "Algorithms to Live By" (with Tom Griffiths), a #1 Audible bestseller, Amazon best science book of the year and MIT Technology Review best book of the year.

Christian’s writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Wired, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as peer-reviewed journals such as Cognitive Science. He has been featured on The Daily Show and Radiolab, and has lectured at Google, Facebook, Microsoft, the Santa Fe Institute, and the London School of Economics. His work has won several awards, including publication in Best American Science & Nature Writing, and has been translated into nineteen languages.

Christian holds degrees in computer science, philosophy, and poetry from Brown University and the University of Washington. A Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, he lives in San Francisco.

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative and engaging. It provides a superb overview of AI progress and issues both technical and social, with practical examples that make readers think. The writing is captivating and compelling, making it a rich reading experience in multiple dimensions. Readers become more educated and well-thought-out about AI and several other topics after reading the book. They describe it as an introduction to the alignment problem and consider it worth slowly chipping away at.

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Readability Information quality Thought provoking Alignment

29 customers mention "Readability"24 positive5 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the clear explanations of complex ideas in a simple manner. The language is accessible for both technical and non-technical readers, making it a good product.

"...I highly recommend. Best book i have read this year." Read more

"...book made me think of a lot of things, and was a rich reading experience in multiple dimensions...." Read more

"...reinforcement learning were worth it by themselves — a detailed description of the process and variables with examples). Overall, terrific read." Read more

"...I found it one of the most captivating and informative books I have read in the last several years, and I recommend it for everyone for whom this..." Read more

27 customers mention "Information quality"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and engaging. They appreciate the author's clear explanations of complex topics and practical examples. The book provides a superb overview of AI progress and issues, with interesting points and thought-provoking examples. It offers tips and tricks for solving common problems with models. Readers also mention that the book walks them through the history of how we got to where we are.

"You have to read this book. It will be a classic. Erudite yet clear and thoughtful...." Read more

"...is the book of the century ( so far ) because it kits the exact center of humanity's concerns - being able to leveage our technology to survive to..." Read more

"...It’s highly useful for anyone working in the AI/ML space, because it also has a lot of tips and tricks for solving common problems with models, and..." Read more

"...TLDR - a delightful introduction to AI that is best for non-experts but with some experience and familiarity with statistics or data analytics." Read more

15 customers mention "Thought provoking"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and well-researched. It provides an overview of artificial intelligence and machine learning for readers with some familiarity with statistics or data analytics. The book covers a wide range of topics, including how AI agents learn and control their behavior.

"...You will emerge more educated and well thought about AI and several other topics of our society. I highly recommend. Best book i have read this year." Read more

"...TLDR - a delightful introduction to AI that is best for non-experts but with some experience and familiarity with statistics or data analytics." Read more

"...easy to read summary of efforts to understand and control how AI "agents" learn, informed by how the human brain develops and works...." Read more

"...other words, this huge accomplishment of a book is of value to the academic researcher in AI, ethicists and legal scholars, the advanced analytics..." Read more

4 customers mention "Alignment"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides an introduction to the alignment problem and overview of its issues.

"This is an introduction to the alignment problem, and then an overview of the problems and solutions that have developed over time...." Read more

"...And for that twist alone, The Alignment Problem is worth slowly chipping at." Read more

"The Alignment Problem should be read, absorbed and should incite each of us to considered carefully the problems we see already in popularized AI as..." Read more

"A great overview of how to align AI..." Read more

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Shadman Zafar
one of the absolutely best books on AI in the market. a master piece.
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2024
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You have to read this book. It will be a classic. Erudite yet clear and thoughtful. You will emerge more educated and well thought about AI and several other topics of our society. I highly recommend. Best book i have read this year.

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BruceK
When I started this I flashed ( if only for a second ) this is the book of the century ( so far )
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024
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When I started reading this I flashed ( if only for a second ) this is the book of the century ( so far ) because it kits the exact center of humanity's concerns - being able to leveage our technology to survive to the benefit of all of us.

A bit over-enthusiastic, OK, but there are so many high-level, but not pompous or condescending, ideas in this book, and the style itself is a lesson in logical structure - something that is almost totally lacking in written language is America anymore. There is profit in friction and obfuscation these days especially in teaching and journalism and so many books that all say the same things.

Within 5 pages, or maybe 5 minutes of the audiobook I was stuck with an idea that was worth the price and time of the book about neurons and how McCulloch & Pitts came to think of how they worked. I've read 100 descriptions of this but Christian's narrative made sense of it succinctly and intuitively.

As I continued, I am not quite finished with it ( close enough that I realized I will miss it when it is done ) to feel that I can review this as a very educational and inspirational and informative book of what is going on in this century. A book worth reading by everyone.

That's kind of why I have been thinking of this as the book of the century. AI, but not just the electronic AI, because like driverless cars humans are going along for the ride, and that really means that unless we want our society to become lumbering neanderthal brutes, we have to increase the intelligence of the average citizen from about a 4th grade level to what we would consider the PhD. level - and not for the profit over others, for our own survival as involved citizens. Like we build intelligence into our computers - only evolved.

This book made me think of a lot of things, and was a rich reading experience in multiple dimensions. It's good to know someone is capable or working and writing like Brian Christian in "The Alignment Problem" - 5/5 stars.

Humanity will survive AI but, like a wreck in an autonomous vehicle there may be megacrashes on the way if we are not all on the ball.

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Rachel Gollub
Excellent overview of alignment research
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
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This is an introduction to the alignment problem, and then an overview of the problems and solutions that have developed over time. It’s highly useful for anyone working in the AI/ML space, because it also has a lot of tips and tricks for solving common problems with models, and overviews of a lot of the major techniques that are used. (The chapters on reinforcement learning were worth it by themselves — a detailed description of the process and variables with examples). Overall, terrific read.

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Hailey R.
Great intro for knowledgeable beginners!
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2024
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I work in data science, but had no formal training in computer science / data in college. I I found the examples and history interesting and loved how technical concepts were explained without overly technical language. To me, this is the equivalent of "Thinking Fast and Slow" but for machine learning (with less repetition of concepts and more tangible examples!)

I gifted a copy to my dad as well, who is fascinated with ChatGPT (I wanted to tamper his expectations of this tool, haha), and he also enjoyed it though to a lesser degree given that he had less experience with this technology. TLDR - a delightful introduction to AI that is best for non-experts but with some experience and familiarity with statistics or data analytics.

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Casey Dorman
Integrates a phenomenal amount of information from psychology and machine learning
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2021
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I must admit that I was taken by surprise by the contents of Brian Christian’s recent book, The Alignment Problem. The book came out in 2020 and made quite a splash among the artificial intelligence (AI) and machine intelligence community. Much of the public, including myself, had been made aware of “the alignment problem” by Nick Bostrom’s book, Superintelligence, or the writings of people such as MIT physicist, Max Tegmark. In fact, in my case, it was the conundrum of the alignment problem that spurred me to write my science fiction novel, Ezekiel’s Brain. Simply put, the alignment problem in the AI world is the question of how you create a superintelligent AI that is “friendly,” i.e., helpful rather than dangerous, to humanity. It’s such a difficult question that, in my novel, Ezekiel’s Brain, the creators of the superintelligent AI fail, and the result is disastrous for the human race. What I was expecting from Brian Christian’s book was another description of the nightmare scenarios of the kind I wrote about in my novel, and experts such as Bostrom and Tegmark talk about in their writings. That wasn’t what The Alignment Problem was about… or at least not what it was mostly about.

Christian gives some detailed accounts of disastrous results applying the most sophisticated AI learning algorithms to actual human situations. Some of these are well-known, such as attempts to censor social media content, or to produce an algorithm that aided judges in criminal sentencing, or to develop screening tools for employment selection. Training AIs using data on human decisions simply amplified the biases, including gender, racial and ideological, we humans use to make our decisions. These were instances of AIs performing in a way that was more harmful than helpful to humans, and they were results of which I had previously only been vaguely aware. Although they were not the kind of misalignment that I was concerned with and had prompted me to buy the book, they expanded my concept of alignment considerably.

Instead of providing nightmare scenarios of the danger of superintelligent AIs that are not aligned with what is best for humanity, the bulk of Christian’s book provides an exquisite history, up to the present, of the efforts of the AI community to define how machines can learn, what they are learning and what they ought to be learning, and how to identify whether the progress being made is bringing AIs in closer alignment with what humans want from them. What was most surprising and gratifying to me, as a psychologist, was how much this effort is entwined with progress in understanding how people learn and what affects that learning process.

Christian writes his book like a good mystery, but rather than following a narrow plot, the breadth of inquiry is extraordinary. Even a psychologist, such as myself, learned about findings in psychology and learning and child development of which I was unaware. How computer scientists who develop AI use psychological findings to open up new avenues in machine learning is fascinating to hear about. The collaborations are thrilling, and both psychologists and AI researchers who are not aware of how much is happening on this front should read Christian’s book to get an idea of how exciting an important this area of research is becoming.

Although I have some background related to psychology, AI, and the alignment problem, this book is written for the non-expert, and the interested layperson can easily understand it and bring their knowledge of the subject up to date. I found it one of the most captivating and informative books I have read in the last several years, and I recommend it for everyone for whom this topic sparks an interest.

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Top reviews from other countries

Dan Ryan
Smart, Informed, and Really Well-Written
Reviewed in Canada on February 10, 2022
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One of the best books around on AI alignment, especially for the non-technical expert. But Christian did such thorough research and explains things so authoritatively and clearly and brings in the voice of the experts from whom he learned that even experts will enjoy and benefit from this review of the field. Learned a lot. I may well assign it as a reading my teaching and I only do that for books that I think students will really get a lot out of.

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bnjasim
Philosophy is useless anyway!
Reviewed in India on November 11, 2024
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Don't read a book, rather DO something. Philosophy is useless!

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Christoph Kenntemich
A great overview on how broad and complex a field machine learning truly is.
Reviewed in Germany on March 26, 2023
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I got progressively more interested, the further I advanced in the book.

Also the hardcover is light blue, which has an appeal to me.

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Emidio Stani
Immersive flow in the continuous research of the alignment
Reviewed in France on July 1, 2022
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This book deals with the alignment problem analyzed in different perspectives over time while scaling out its abstraction and complexity.

Being an IT person, I am fascinated by what machine learning has reached so far and what yet needs to be done for AI to be integrated in our society.

The book does not require technical knowledge and I recommend it to anyone interested in machine learning, data engineering but also in policy making around AI.

I like the style of the book, in part historical with a lot of references, and having for me the right speed of reading without stopping by too much on a topic.

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Georgina
Good introductory text to the issues
Reviewed in Australia on April 23, 2021
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Trying to understand alignment of human values and machine learning
It’s a great eye opener and easy to understand - covers a lot of ground

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