Genies, lawyers, and smart-asses: Extending proxy failures to intentional misunderstandings

We propose that the logic of a genie – an agent that exploits an ambiguous request to intentionally misunderstand a stated goal – underlies a common and consequential phenomenon, well within what is currently called proxy failures. We argue that such intentional misunderstandings are not covered by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Behavioral and brain sciences 2024-05, Vol.47, p.e86-e86, Article e86
Main Authors: Ullman, Tomer D., Bridgers, Sophie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
Comprehension
Failure
Humans
Intention
Logic
Open Peer Commentary
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Summary:We propose that the logic of a genie – an agent that exploits an ambiguous request to intentionally misunderstand a stated goal – underlies a common and consequential phenomenon, well within what is currently called proxy failures. We argue that such intentional misunderstandings are not covered by the current proposed framework for proxy failures, and suggest to expand it.
ISSN:0140-525X
1469-1825
DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002820