Published on August 16, 2024 3:20 PM GMT
Many people still have a model where they assume that the bar for contributing to AI Safety must be really high.
I'm here to tell you that this isn't the case.
The Value of Good Community Members
Even without conducting groundbreaking research, "good community members" play a crucial role in expanding and enriching the AI Safety space. But what constitutes a good community member?
While possessing a high-degree of intelligence is undeniably beneficial, it's not the sole determinant of one's potential contributions. Personal attributes that can significantly compensate for raw intelligence include:
- Intellectual humilityThe ability to deeply understand other perspectivesDedication to continuous learning more about the field
While there is undoubtedly some level of baseline intelligence below which it'll be hard for you to be a net contributor, that's not as much of an issue as you might think as Less Wrong contributors tend to be quite smart anyway. The proliferation of accessible resources on AI and AI Safety has substantially lowered the barrier to entry for meaningful participation in discussions and if you have a genuine interest, learning about the field won't really feel like work.
Soft Skills
Other attributes can significantly increase your value as a community member.
- Good vibes is a major value add. No one wants to be around a jerk.People want to spend time around other who will truly listen to themIf you're good at providing feedback, you'll find high demand as it's hard to see all angles of a problem by yourself. The rapid growth of the field has created a mentorship bottleneck, making peer support increasingly vital.
Conclusion
The field of AI Safety benefits not only from groundbreaking research but also from a vibrant, supportive community of engaged individuals. By participating actively, providing feedback, and maintaining an open and curious mindset, you may contribute more significantly than you initially believed possible.
And who knows? Maybe even if you don't feel like you have that much to offer, but you consistently read things, hang around the community read things and provide feedback on other people's ideas, you might eventually be drawn towards pursuing an idea of your own.
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