Instructor: Dan Ryan

Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment

Fall 2025

Welcome and Getting Started

Agenda

• Who am I?
• Why are we here? What is alignment?
• Who are you?
• What will we do?
• Game Simulations

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

Why are we here?

OR
WHAT IS ALIGNMENT ANYWAY?

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

Align with:
What this course is and is not

Four moments of alignment

What is alignment (includes google form)

Why are we here?

OR

WHAT IS ALIGNMENT ANYWAY?

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

2015

We just learned three terms

maximize a utility function

inverse reinforcement learning

value alignment

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

and something about a guy named Szilard

Stuart Russell
again

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

2019

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

Special
Guest
Lecturer

The Four Intelligence Alignments

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

Who are you?

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

Who are you?

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

RESULTS

What will we do?

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

Shape of the Syllabus

Basic Requirements

Basic Requirements

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

27 class meetings. ~25 pre-class work assignments (reading, AI interactions, questions, summaries, discussion preparation).  2 multiple draft essays. Oral exam. Lead discussions - points for prepping your team

Next Time on...

PostClass Work

• Play with our Alignment Guide GPT

PreClass Work AI Bootcamp

• About 25 minutes of video and skim ebook Machine Learning for Humans

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

Further Reading on Alignment

1. IBM: "What is alignment?"
   • General answer with examples of things IBM is developing
2. Wikipedia. "Al Alignment" 25-30 min read
   • Read first three sections and skim the rest for a first reading
3. Vinod Chugani 2024: "What is AI Alignment? Ensuring AI Works for Humanity" on DataCamp blog · 12 min read
   • Ignore opening idea (building in values); after that several good break downs of concepts related to alignment
4. Paul Christiano. 2018. "Clarifying 'AI alignment'." 4 min read
   • head of AI safety at the US AI Safety Institute
5. Ji, J. et al. 2024. "AI Alignment: A Comprehensive Survey" 60PP!
   • dense text, read from the outside in - look at contents and overall shape
6. Tech AI Digest. 2024. "AI Alignment Explained: Ensuring AI Follows Human Values" (11min podcast)
   • 2 person conversation - very beginner friendly

Ryan: Human and Machine Intelligence Alignment Fall 2025

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