All posts related to the concept of technical[1] boundaries. A quick explanation as quoted from Andrew Critch in March 2023:
By boundaries, I just mean the approximate causal separation of regions in some kind of physical space (e.g., spacetime) or abstract space (e.g., cyberspace). Here are some examples from my «Boundaries» Sequence:
- a cell membrane (separates the inside of a cell from the outside);
- a person's skin (separates the inside of their body from the outside);
- a fence around a family's yard (separates the family's place of living-together from neighbors and others);
- a digital firewall around a local area network (separates the LAN and its users from the rest of the internet);
- a sustained disassociation of social groups (separates the two groups from each other)
- a national border (separates a state from neighboring states or international waters).
Also, beware:
When I say boundary, I don't just mean an arbitrary constraint or social norm.
It is for this reason that I (@Chipmonk) have named the tag "boundaries [technical]" instead of "boundaries". In common use, the word "boundaries" colloquially refers to something that's more like "Hey you crossed my boundaries, you're so mean!" (See this post for examples of that.) And while these two concepts ("boundaries [technical]" and "boundaries [colloquial]") are certainly related, they are distinct, and, moreover, I find them extraordinarily confusing to consider simultaneously. (Because "crossing 'boundaries'" does not imply "crossing «boundaries»". Merely going against someone else's desires is not necessarily crossing a «boundary».) «Boundaries» are distinct from preferences. So I try to be explicit as possible.
For «boundaries»-AI alignment relations, see «Boundaries» and AI safety compilation.
Tag created and maintained by Chipmonk, «Boundaries» enthusiast, in 2023 April.
See below