Ryan Knudson

The rationalist movement has drawn some influential people. Early on, venture capitalist Peter Thiel funded a rationalist research organization. And former OpenAI researcher Paul Cristiano now leads the federal government's AI Safety Institute. Has the rationalist movement had a real impact on AI safety?

The rationalist movement has drawn some influential people. Early on, venture capitalist Peter Thiel funded a rationalist research organization. And former OpenAI researcher Paul Cristiano now leads the federal government's AI Safety Institute. Has the rationalist movement had a real impact on AI safety?

Much of the Rationalist's heady conversations take place online.

Much of the Rationalist's heady conversations take place online.

Much of the Rationalist's heady conversations take place online.

LessWrong is filled with long-winded and complex posts. To give you a sense of what it's like on the LessWrong forum, we asked the journal team to read some examples. The stereotyped image of AI catastrophe is a powerful, malicious AI system that takes its creators by surprise and quickly achieves a decisive advantage over the rest of humanity.

LessWrong is filled with long-winded and complex posts. To give you a sense of what it's like on the LessWrong forum, we asked the journal team to read some examples. The stereotyped image of AI catastrophe is a powerful, malicious AI system that takes its creators by surprise and quickly achieves a decisive advantage over the rest of humanity.

LessWrong is filled with long-winded and complex posts. To give you a sense of what it's like on the LessWrong forum, we asked the journal team to read some examples. The stereotyped image of AI catastrophe is a powerful, malicious AI system that takes its creators by surprise and quickly achieves a decisive advantage over the rest of humanity.

This welcoming intellectual online forum caught the eye of a budding rationalist in Alaska, a promising computer programmer fresh out of college. I'm just going to refer to her by her last name, Lasoda.

This welcoming intellectual online forum caught the eye of a budding rationalist in Alaska, a promising computer programmer fresh out of college. I'm just going to refer to her by her last name, Lasoda.

This welcoming intellectual online forum caught the eye of a budding rationalist in Alaska, a promising computer programmer fresh out of college. I'm just going to refer to her by her last name, Lasoda.

In the Bay Area, Lasoda found community and an identity. She came out as transgender. She embraced veganism. She was interested in startups. And she started living on a tugboat in the waters south of San Francisco with a handful of other like-minded rationalists.

In the Bay Area, Lasoda found community and an identity. She came out as transgender. She embraced veganism. She was interested in startups. And she started living on a tugboat in the waters south of San Francisco with a handful of other like-minded rationalists.

In the Bay Area, Lasoda found community and an identity. She came out as transgender. She embraced veganism. She was interested in startups. And she started living on a tugboat in the waters south of San Francisco with a handful of other like-minded rationalists.

Over time, La Sota's persona evolved into something more conspicuous and extreme. And she started going by the name Ziz.

Over time, La Sota's persona evolved into something more conspicuous and extreme. And she started going by the name Ziz.

Over time, La Sota's persona evolved into something more conspicuous and extreme. And she started going by the name Ziz.

The bad guys from Star Wars are the Sith. Yeah. The emperor was a Sith. Very bad.

The bad guys from Star Wars are the Sith. Yeah. The emperor was a Sith. Very bad.

The bad guys from Star Wars are the Sith. Yeah. The emperor was a Sith. Very bad.