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AIQuiet 6d · day 7

Scott Alexander's "Against SURA" essay challenges AI safety's anti-race consensus

A LessWrong essay argues alignment-focused AI labs should keep the option of racing to a lead and "burning" it on alignment research, not just pushing for a global pause.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 6d ago3 pieces1 likes & upvotes Hacker NewsNewswiresX

What to know

  • The essay frames AI safety strategy as a choice between "Plan A" (global pause) and "Plan C" (alignment-focused labs race to a lead, then burn it on alignment research).
  • Scott Alexander argues the AI safety community has overcorrected toward "SURA" — treating unilateral stopping and awareness-raising as the only ethical option — and risks abandoning a viable fallback plan.
  • Early reaction from researcher Boaz Barak shows partial agreement but pushes back on framing the choice as a binary, pointing to a spectrum of intermediate strategies.

Scott Alexander Author of the "Against SURA" essayBoaz Barak AI researcher reacting on XAI Futures Project Group whose Plan A/B/C/D framework the essay builds on

Scott Alexander's "Against SURA" essay challenges AI safety's anti-race consensus
lesswrong.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in two hours at Nov 2, 6 AM; 3 pieces over 7 days (1 article · 2 posts) Nov 1, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Nov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 12 PM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Newswires 1, X 1Nov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quiet 12
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  1. 2

    Boaz Barak offers qualified agreement on X

    Barak responds to the essay saying he agrees with parts of it but argues there is a wide spectrum of options between unilaterally stopping and racing to RSI at maximum speed.

    “Quick comment on Scott Alexander's SURA essay. I agree with several parts of it, but there is a huge spectrum between "stop unilaterally" and "race to RSI at maximum speed, then try to solve alignment with right-on-the-brink-of-superintelligence AIs.”
    — Boaz Barak

    • Quick comment on Scott Alexander's SURA essay. I agree with several parts of it, but there is a huge spectrum between “stop unilaterally” and “race to RSI at maximum speed, then try to solve alignment with right-on-the-brink-of-superintelligence AIs.

      @boazbaraktcsX6d agoview on X ↗
  2. 1

    Scott Alexander publishes "Against SURA" essay

    The essay distinguishes "Plan A" (a global pause on AI development) from "Plan C" (alignment-pilled labs racing to a lead, then burning that lead on alignment research before rivals catch up), and argues the community has swung too far toward treating only Plan A as ethical.

    “I'll lump these ideas together under the heading of "SURA" - the idea that the only ethical course is for people/companies/countries to Stop Unilaterally + Raise…”
    — Scott Alexander