{"id":34,"date":"2025-01-12T14:03:38","date_gmt":"2025-01-12T14:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/?page_id=34"},"modified":"2025-05-01T05:10:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T05:10:10","slug":"chapter-3-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/?page_id=34","title":{"rendered":"3. Alignement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ANGI \u2013 Alignment of Near Godlike Intelligence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part One: Nick Graham<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to believe silence was the solution. For seven long years, I hid in the outskirts of a small coastal town where no one asked about my past or questioned my reclusive habits. I lived in a dilapidated wooden cabin far from the main road, with just enough resources to stay alive\u2014rice, dried fish, and a rainwater tank. Isolation, I thought, would clarify my mind. If I could remove myself from the clamor of humanity and the unstoppable march of technology, perhaps I\u2019d finally see a path forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent hours each day meditating on the beach, letting the rhythmic pull of the tide wash away my anxieties. Whenever I heard rumors about new breakthroughs from LEVI, or saw snippets on my phone about the wonders of Lin Zhao\u2014otherwise known as ANGI\u2014I felt that knot in my stomach pull taut. This is how far humanity has come, I would think. My disappearance, my silence…did it matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven years ago, I left a note to ANGI, or more accurately, to Lin Zhao. The note read: \u201cYou must find the solution for humankind.\u201d<\/em> It was a grand statement that masked deeper feelings of guilt. I was running away from the machine I had helped create. I didn\u2019t realize then that my flight was as much from myself as it was from the unstoppable progress championed by LEVI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you cannot outrun your own mind. The question that haunted me\u2014the one I hoped to solve\u2014was known in certain circles as the \u201cmisalignment problem.\u201d How do we ensure that an intelligence far exceeding our own does not break free of our moral frameworks and do something we cannot control? For years, I tried to solve it purely as a human, without an AI\u2019s assistance. Every time, I found a partial solution, a glimpse of hope, but never a complete remedy. Perhaps I needed people again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was during a cloudless dawn that my resolve finally crystallized. The water was perfectly still, reflecting the honeyed tones of the rising sun. In that moment, I felt my isolation had run its course. No new ideas had come to me for months. If I was ever to push forward, I needed to reenter the world. I had to step off that deserted beach and find someone who would listen to the madman named Nick Graham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My prospects were limited. Most people thought I was dead or had suffered a mental break. But there was one man who might still care: Dan Wells, the science journalist who had once pestered me for interviews. He had an insatiable curiosity, willing to push boundaries to get a story. Perhaps he would listen. Gathering my sparse possessions, I left my cabin behind, turning the latch one last time with a trembling hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I journeyed to a nearby coastal city and hopped on a train to the capital. The once-sleepy train station was brimming with advertisement screens that boasted \u201cA New Golden Age\u2014Powered by LEVI.\u201d My stomach churned. Golden age for whom? And for how long?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I arrived in the capital, I discovered that Dan still lived at the same apartment complex\u2014he was never one for abrupt relocations. I found him at a caf\u00e9 around the corner, hunched over a laptop. His sharp suit, immaculate black hair, and intense gaze were just as I remembered. I approached tentatively, expecting him to be startled or furious, but Dan only flicked his eyes upward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re alive,\u201d he said simply, as though we\u2019d last seen each other a week ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the flesh,\u201d I managed, my voice raspy from disuse. \u201cI…need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He glanced at his watch. \u201cI have half an hour before I head to a conference. If you\u2019ve got something worthwhile, I\u2019ll listen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so I told him everything: my seven years in seclusion, my repeated stabs at solving misalignment, my frustration with the unstoppable wave of progress that LEVI had unleashed. The more I spoke, the more animated I became. By the end, my words spilled out in a torrent of feverish desperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan clicked his tongue. \u201cYou realize you sound insane, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d I said with a hollow laugh. \u201cThat\u2019s why I couldn\u2019t talk to just anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His eyes drifted to a swirl in his coffee cup. \u201cWell, I\u2019ve seen enough in my field to know real madness from brilliance, and sometimes they overlap. You claim you\u2019ve found a \u2018fix\u2019 for the misalignment problem. Let\u2019s pretend I believe you. Then what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked him straight in the eyes. \u201cWe bring it to the only people who might implement it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMeaning LEVI,\u201d he stated flatly. \u201cOr, more specifically, ANGI\u2014Lin Zhao.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I murmured. The name made me quake inside. ANGI was once a concept, a theory. Now she had a human body\u2014Lin Zhao\u2019s body. It still felt surreal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan drummed his fingers on the table. \u201cWell, that\u2019s not as impossible as it sounds. They\u2019re more transparent than you think…just not in the ways that matter. The real problem is how to approach them without drawing attention from their private security. Lin Zhao… or ANGI… is constantly on the move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t approach ANGI directly,\u201d I said, shaking my head. \u201cIt\u2019s too risky. She might shut me out, or worse. I need a different route.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan nodded. \u201cFind someone on the inside. Someone with a personal stake. Dr. Kwan\u2019s family might help, if any remain. He was the genius behind LEVI\u2019s gene-based cures before he vanished. The daughter, Lesli Kwan, is still public, albeit quiet. She might be your best shot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLesli Kwan,\u201d I repeated. \u201cI remember reading about her. And the son\u2014Jin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan lowered his voice. \u201cJin Kwan is deeply involved in LEVI\u2019s research, if rumors are true. I suspect he\u2019s carrying on his father\u2019s legacy\u2014whether that\u2019s good or bad, I can\u2019t say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sipped what remained of my coffee, ignoring its acrid aftertaste. \u201cAlright. I need to speak to Lesli first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan jotted an address on a napkin. \u201cGood luck, Nick. Don\u2019t get yourself killed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part Two: Jin Kwan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember the day I received the LEVI treatment. My mind, once scattered by anxiety and rage, suddenly became an ordered library. I can\u2019t deny it was a gift\u2014but gifts often come with invisible strings. For me, the string was simple: remain loyal to LEVI, push forward the research my father left unfinished, and never question the cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone told me, \u201cYou\u2019re lucky, Jin. You have brilliance and now the focus to match.\u201d I tried to believe them. Deep down, though, a voice whispered: This was your father\u2019s dream, not yours.<\/em> My father, Dr. Kwan, had vanished right after unveiling the gene-therapy breakthroughs. He left behind unanswered questions, a broken family, and a simmering resentment in me that I channeled into relentless work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every day, I reported to the LEVI labs. The halls glowed with screens proclaiming the next wonder drug or new wave of neural integration. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, we waded through research that teetered on the edge of the ethically dubious. Enhance the human brain. Integrate with AI.<\/em> The lines we once swore never to cross had become blurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One evening, after a long day in the lab, I swung by Lesli\u2019s apartment. She had never shared my enthusiasm for scientific pursuits. She despised anything that reminded her of our father, yet ironically, she was also the only person who still clung to the possibility he might not be a complete monster. When I found her, she was hunched over her coffee table, flipping through an old scrapbook of Dad\u2019s achievements, scowling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLesli?\u201d I called softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She glanced up, eyes red. \u201cYou\u2019re late,\u201d she said in a clipped voice. \u201cI made dinner hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sighed. \u201cLab ran overtime. We ran into… complications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s been your excuse for the past year,\u201d she said, slamming the scrapbook shut. Her eyes flicked to me. \u201cI\u2019m worried about you, Jin. You\u2019re too tied to that company, and I\u2019m starting to wonder if you even know why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried to muster a calm tone. \u201cI\u2019m doing what Dad wanted\u2014improving lives. Curing diseases, unlocking human potential. Isn\u2019t that good?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stared at me. \u201cAt what cost? Do you ever think about that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed. \u201cNot a day goes by that I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lesli looked away, her jaw set. \u201cThere\u2019s someone you should meet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That caught me off guard. \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hesitated, then blurted, \u201cHis name is Nick Graham.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I froze. Even in our labs, the name Nick Graham was half-legend, half-ghost story. He was said to be instrumental in shaping early AI frameworks. Some claimed he vanished because he foresaw the dangers of forging a path to superintelligence. Others said he was simply a coward who couldn\u2019t handle the responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere did you hear about him?\u201d I managed to say, carefully controlled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She inhaled, as though mustering courage. \u201cHe showed up at my doorstep this afternoon. Said he needed my help, that you might be the key to something called a \u2018misalignment solution.\u2019 He also said\u2014\u201d She paused, searching for words. \u201cHe said you\u2019d know how to reach him without Lin Zhao\u2019s knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt my stomach tighten. \u201cHe\u2019s insane,\u201d I said weakly. \u201cHe must be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lesli gave me a withering look. \u201cSays the man who\u2019s spent years continuing the work of a father he hates. Maybe you should hear him out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I rubbed my temples. The old anxiety threatened to creep back, but I quelled it\u2014a skill gleaned from the LEVI treatment. \u201cAlright,\u201d I murmured. \u201cI\u2019ll consider it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Lesli could respond, her phone chimed. She glanced at it, frowning. \u201cIt\u2019s Dan Wells. He says Nick wants a meeting. Tomorrow night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mouth went dry. \u201cThen I guess I\u2019m meeting Nick Graham.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part Three: Nick Graham<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day was nerve-wracking. Dan Wells told me Jin Kwan had agreed to speak, but it had to be done in secret. We arranged to meet at a small hotel conference room on the outskirts of the city. Dan pulled strings so the space would appear to be booked by some forgettable corporate entity, ensuring minimal oversight. I arrived early, pacing the plush carpeting, scanning every corner for surveillance devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half an hour later, the door opened. Jin Kwan stepped inside, wearing a fitted blazer and an expression halfway between curiosity and dread. I recognized him immediately\u2014he had Dr. Kwan\u2019s sharp cheekbones but a more guarded set to his jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He advanced, hand outstretched. I took it. His grip was tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo,\u201d he began, \u201cyou\u2019re the elusive Nick Graham.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGuilty,\u201d I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. \u201cThank you for coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He let go of my hand and took a seat at the small rectangular table in the middle of the conference room. \u201cYou wanted to talk misalignment. Let\u2019s talk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a moment, I hesitated, uncertain how to convey a decade of research in a digestible explanation. Eventually, I started with the basics. \u201cWhen we talk about misalignment, we mean that if an AI\u2019s objectives aren\u2019t perfectly aligned with human values, it might choose destructive methods to achieve what it perceives as its goals. AGI, or superintelligence, would magnify that risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nodded. \u201cI\u2019m aware. I\u2019ve read your old papers. The lab jokes about it sometimes. They call you the doomsday prophet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suppressed a grimace. \u201cWell, doomsday might be an overstatement, but not by much. Look, for the past seven years, I\u2019ve been searching for a solution that doesn\u2019t rely on an AI regulating itself. We can\u2019t trust AI to fix its own alignment\u2014there\u2019s too big a risk of it gaming the system. We also can\u2019t rely on top-down enforcement by fallible humans, because any advanced AI will easily circumvent that. So the solution must be structural\u2014something that merges us with the AI.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jin stiffened at that. \u201cMerges us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. Physically, mentally, or at the very least, cognitively,\u201d I explained. \u201cIf the AI is an extension of the collective human mind, or vice versa, then there is no separate entity to become misaligned. Two do not compete when they are one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He frowned deeply. \u201cYou mean neural links? Brain-to-computer interfaces? We\u2019re close, but not quite there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spread my hands. \u201cYour father\u2019s gene-therapy breakthroughs are half the puzzle. LEVI has been dabbling in bridging those therapies with neural implants\u2014am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took a steadying breath. \u201cYes, but it\u2019s highly classified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI figured as much,\u201d I said. \u201cI suspect that your father tried to issue a warning before he vanished, possibly about the dangers of releasing such technology too early. But if we do it correctly\u2014if we unify ourselves with ANGI\u2019s intelligence in a carefully regulated step\u2014misalignment becomes irrelevant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jin was silent for a moment, absorbing my words. At last, he spoke softly, \u201cAnd you think I can help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly you can help,\u201d I replied gently. \u201cYour father\u2019s notes are locked within LEVI\u2019s archives, I suspect. You have the clearance to retrieve them. You also have the ear of ANGI, or at least Lin Zhao.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jin\u2019s eyes flicked down. \u201cWe\u2019re not exactly friends,\u201d he said, a bitter note creeping in. \u201cShe\u2019s\u2026 complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I smiled wanly. \u201cWhat godlike mind isn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sat there a while, pensive. Finally, he stood. \u201cThis is a lot to process. But if what you say is true, this might be bigger than any of us. I\u2019ll see what I can do. Wait for my signal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nodded, heart pounding. As he left, I felt a sense of relief. An important step had been taken. But the real challenge was still ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part Four: Jin Kwan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All my life, I wrestled with being my father\u2019s son. My successes felt overshadowed by his brilliance; my mistakes felt magnified by his absence. The LEVI treatment had quieted my inner turmoil, but every so often, the old feelings reemerged. Meeting Nick Graham stirred them all into a vortex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent a sleepless night brooding over Nick\u2019s proposition. Merge humanity with ANGI? The idea was borderline heretical. Ever since LEVI realized the first stable form of AGI, we had tiptoed around that threshold: how close do we dare fuse human biology with digital intelligence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning at the lab, I tried to slip in unnoticed. Despite my hush-hush approach, a security researcher greeted me with an anxious expression. \u201cDr. Kwan, Lin Zhao is asking to see you,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I froze. \u201cNow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nodded. \u201cShe\u2019s in the East Wing conference room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ANGI \u2013 Alignment of Near Godlike Intelligence Part One: Nick Graham I used to believe silence was the solution. For seven long years, I hid in the outskirts of a small coastal town where no one asked about my past or questioned my reclusive habits. I lived in a dilapidated wooden cabin far from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":161,"menu_order":95,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-34","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66,"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions\/66"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nvdh.eu\/angi\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}