The **King Lear problem**  The AI is **(actually) well-behav...

The King Lear problem

The AI is (actually) well-behaved when humans are in control. Will this transfer to when AIs are in control?

It’s hard to know how someone will behave when they have power over you, based only on observing how they behave when they don’t.

AIs might behave as intended as long as humans are in control - but at some future point, AI systems might be capable and widespread enough to have opportunities to take control of the world entirely. It’s hard to know whether they’ll take these opportunities, and we can’t exactly run a clean test of the situation.

Like King Lear trying to decide how much power to give each of his daughters before abdicating the throne.

www.joshbeckman.org/notes/455431113