Machine Intelligence Research Institute — General support (2016)

Abstract

The Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) received a grant of $500,000 in 2016 despite reservations about MIRI’s research. MIRI’s research agenda primarily focuses on Agent Foundations. However, technical advisors suggested this agenda has limited potential to decrease potential risks from advanced AI compared to other research directions. A consensus was also reached that this work is unlikely to be useful if transformative AI is developed over the next 20 years through deep-learning methods. Despite concerns, the grant was awarded due to factors such as potential for improvement in MIRI’s research, early articulation of the value alignment problem, and the increase of research supply and diversity. There is a strong chance this grant will be renewed next year. Renewal expectations include a more compelling case for the relevance of MIRI’s research and/or impressive results from the newer, machine learning-focused agenda. – AI-generated abstract.