Focus period: Mathematical Science of AI Safety

Some aspects of intelligence are becoming a commodity. They are bought and sold by the token and piped from large datacenters hosting artificial neural networks to our phones, laptops, cars and perhaps soon domestic robots. However our understanding of what neural networks do, and how they “learn” is limited. This makes it difficult to assess the downside risks of rapid adoption of AI across the economy and in our personal lives. The goal of this focus period will be to come to grips with these questions from a mathematical perspective. Many mathematicians want to contribute, but lack a clear entry point into the subject. A primary aim will be to articulate guiding questions, in consultation with experts at the forefront of AI development. We also aim to bring together some of the most interesting thinkers in this nascent field. 

Organisers: Daniel Murfet, Susan Wei, Geordie Williamson

Key participants: Peter Bartlett, Vanessa Kosoy, Jim Crutchfield, Marcus Hutter*, Vinayak Pathak, Cole Wyeth