The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values

Chapter 7 starts with a discussion of mimicry in primates. Christian notes that, historically, primates have been considered skilled imitators, a notion supported by 19th-century scientists such as George John Romanes. However, contemporary research challenges this view. Studies by Elisabetta Visalberghi and others have found little evidence of spontaneous imitation among non-human primates, except under human training, suggesting that, contrary to traditional views, humans are the main imitators. The innate ability to imitate plays a crucial role in learning and forming social connections from an early age.

Christian explores the surprising tendency of humans to over-imitate, a phenomenon where individuals replicate both necessary and unnecessary actions observed in others. Researchers note that this behavior, more common in humans than in chimpanzees, contradicts expectations as chimpanzees tend to ignore irrelevant actions. Studies revealed that even when human children could identify unnecessary steps in a task, they replicated them anyway. This pattern persists despite explicit instructions to avoid redundant actions, indicating that over-imitation may stem from a sophisticated judgment of the demonstrator’s intentions and how their mind works.

Citing contemporaneous research and experiments, Christian notes that imitation in humans offers three key advantages over other learning methods like trial and error or direct instruction.