Choose an institution to see its records and dossier, or choose a topic.
Through year 2027 · all records, including scheduled dates 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2008 2005 1965 Show Organisations and infrastructure All types Organisation Person Document Concept Infrastructure Public body Reset filters
94 people, organisations and other records · 122 relationships · 34 claims about a valueEverything recorded up to the chosen year, whether or not still in effect · Undated records included
Claim and evidence Close ×
The post “What I Think, If Not Why” (2008-12-11) contests Y04. In a list of his positions written during the 2008 exchange with Robin Hanson, he states that verbal instructions of this kind cannot specify an AI's values. Copy claim link
Copy claim reference
Machine-checked, not reviewed by an editor Stated in source Supported
Supporting evidence: primary · 1 source
Date 2008-12-11 · publication Role Contesting Register (kind of text) Nonfiction Engagement States the contrary. Under the message-level rule, the passage states the contrary conclusion without giving a reason against the premise that a short instruction such as 'make people happy' specifies what we want, even when read with its message or dialogue turn. Scope and limits Premise addressed: A short instruction such as 'make people happy' specifies what we want. Imported Overcoming Bias post (2008-12-11); listed without argument by design ('a list of just my positions, without justifying them').
The evidence 01 primary source Supports the claim
What I Think, If Not Why ↗ Overcoming Bias · 2008-12-11
Copy source reference
Cite the original source Cite the original document, not Selekoa. Check these details against it.
Copy APA
Download BibTeX Download RIS Download CSL-JSON
Source excerpt “English sentences like "make people happy" cannot describe the values of a Friendly AI.” Location in source What I Think, If Not Why, bullet beginning 'Friendly AI is technically difficult'
Machine-checked · 2026-10-06
Source details and check notes Authors Eliezer Yudkowsky Version Post body retrieved through the LessWrong GraphQL API on 2026-10-06 (SHA-256 d88333aee9abdfc2c2dc9f6a5ac5401b3a8719b7df75934e2eec9765fe2c471d), content version 1.0.0. As imported to LessWrong. Canonical address Open the canonical source ↗ Accessed 2026-10-06 Language English (en) Attribution Eliezer Yudkowsky, “What I Think, If Not Why”, Overcoming Bias, as imported to LessWrong, 2008-12-11. Reuse No open redistribution licence asserted. Bibliographic metadata, editorial paraphrases and short attributed quotations (at most 50 words each). Recheck terms before wider redistribution. Check notes Candidate pack passage T04-a. The quotation (14 words) matched the retrieved expression (SHA-256 d88333aee9abdfc2c2dc9f6a5ac5401b3a8719b7df75934e2eec9765fe2c471d) when checked on 2026-10-06. Status and meaning Editorial status. Not reviewed by an editor . An exploratory record that no editor has accepted. This status does not say whether a person has read any linked passage. Each evidence record above shows how it was checked.
Relation. A passage of the document disputes the proposition or a premise it depends on. The record documents the text’s position, not who is right.
Date. LessWrong postedAt of an imported Overcoming Bias post (Overcoming Bias date).
Record ID yk-y04-lw-2008-what-i-think-if-not-why-c