Raspcoffee's recent activity

  1. Comment on The Possessed Machines: Dostoevsky's Demons and the coming AGI catastrophe in ~society

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    (reading through it as I'm writing) ...man, this actually describes a lot of powerful positions in our society. Where the people ending up in charge are not the ones who can make the sound moral...

    (reading through it as I'm writing)

    The AI safety community has developed elaborate frameworks for thinking about existential risk, but these frameworks assume a kind of normal moral psychology that cannot be assumed in the people making the key decisions. Expected value calculations do not help when the person doing the calculating is incapable of feeling that the values in question are real.

    ...man, this actually describes a lot of powerful positions in our society. Where the people ending up in charge are not the ones who can make the sound moral decisions.

    I have watched similar dynamics play out in AI safety organizations. The people who leave are not merely disagreed with; they are reconceptualized as having been flawed all along. Their previous contributions are reinterpreted in light of their eventual departure. The group's self-conception requires that anyone who rejects it must have been mistaken from the beginning.

    You can see this dynamic in social media, where political opinions are treated as a kind of being morally right/wrong, but even taken further into an extreme. It makes disagreement not just more uncomfortable than it already is, but downright terrifying.

    Consider the actual topology. Researcher A at OpenAI dated Researcher B at Anthropic; they met at a house party in the Mission thrown by Researcher C, who left DeepMind last year and now runs a small alignment nonprofit. Researcher D at Google and Researcher E at Meta were roommates in graduate school and still share a group house with three other ML researchers who work at various startups. The safety lead at one major lab and the policy director at another were in the same MIRI summer program in 2017. The CEO of one frontier lab and the chief scientist of another served on the same nonprofit board.

    This is not corruption in any conventional sense. It is simply how small, specialized communities work. The number of people with the technical skills and intellectual orientation to do frontier AI research is measured in hundreds, perhaps low thousands. They attend the same conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, the various safety workshops). They post on the same forums (LessWrong, the Alignment Forum, Twitter/X). They read each other's papers, cite each other's work, argue in each other's comment sections. Many of them live within a few miles of each other in the Bay Area or London.

    This goes, if you ask me, well with my point above: Sometimes you need the opinion of an outsider. To make sure you, or any group, aren't going down a wrong path somewhere. I hadn't considered this dynamic before within AI research, and I don't know enough about the internal world, but I can certainly see that dynamic there. It almost reminds me of how aristocracies in Europe used to justify their own existence with, well, their own existence. Basically being self-evident. That might be a rather extreme example, but still.

    I want to be careful here, because describing these dynamics in detail would identify individuals in ways that might cause harm. But the general pattern is visible enough to anyone who pays attention. The AI safety community has its aristocracy—the founders of the field, the authors of the canonical texts. It has its ambitious climbers, its fallen stars, its heretics, its gossips. The social machinery is remarkably similar to what Dostoevsky describes in Demons, adjusted for a San Francisco context.

    ...Oh. Didn't expect the same word to be used in such a manner. <_<; Kind of makes me hope that the author's description is geared towards that conclusion rather than it being a proper description. Though so far I don't get the vibe that this is for attention or something similar, unfortunately.

    Open Philanthropy has given more than a hundred million dollars to AI safety research.18 This is, in one sense, admirable—they have identified a problem they believe is important and they are trying to do something about it. But their funding creates dependencies. Researchers who want to continue their work must remain in Open Phil's good graces. This is not necessarily corrupting—Open Phil seems to be relatively hands-off—but it creates structural incentives that shape the discourse in ways that are difficult to perceive from the inside.

    This is why separation of power is so, so important. It prevents that kind of dependencies, and I've actually been wondering if we need something akin to that with economics given the current issues in our world, but that's a story for another time I suppose.

    I felt this dynamic when I was considering leaving. The decision was not just professional; it was about identity and belonging. My entire social world was the AI industry. My friends, my romantic partners, my sense of purpose—all of it was bound up with the work. Leaving meant not just changing jobs but changing who I was.

    Honestly? Props to the author for leaving. It's easy to think you would do as such in such a situation, but when your entire identity is intertwined with it, that becomes easier said than done.

    I do not know how to translate this into the AI context. I am suspicious of easy answers. But I am also increasingly convinced that the purely technical and policy approaches to AI risk are insufficient—that they treat symptoms while ignoring the underlying disease.

    I want to highlight this because it's important to admit we don't have all the answers, and admitting as such in a text like this requires a lot of courage imo!

    Perhaps the AI industry is possessed in this sense. Not by ideology, not by any single vision, but by the spirit of acceleration itself—the drive toward "more" and "faster" that has no end point and no criterion for success except continued motion.

    I hadn't thought about it like this before, but it makes sense when you consider how much of a bubble it is. Keeping investing in it not only due to sunk cost fallacy, but out of pure inertia due to the structures ending up having, well, that structure.

    Confession can be self-serving. It can be a way of claiming moral credit for acknowledgment while avoiding the costs of action. It can even be a form of action-substitution—the feeling of having done something when in fact one has only talked about doing something.

    Never thought about confessions like that before, but yeah. They can very much be like that. Venting is similar actually, you may feel like you've provided relief for yourself - and you sure did at that moment - but that doesn't mean the problem itself is automatically tackled, even if it feels like you did.

    ...

    I may need to read through this again. Perhaps my initial thoughts will be very different from what I'll think about this later but nonetheless, thanks for sharing. If nothing else, this has been a good read. I'd like to write down more thoughts immediately but I feel like I need to digest this first.

    6 votes

  2. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (February 2026) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    Felt like making another post about this. I recently learned that I have this believe that I'm not just replaceable, but also disposable. Like a tool. I have therapy in two weeks but I've had so...

    Felt like making another post about this.

    I recently learned that I have this believe that I'm not just replaceable, but also disposable. Like a tool.

    I have therapy in two weeks but I've had so many things stacking up and I'm exhausted.

    Self love did make the earlier stages of depression way more easy. The difference between feeling depressed and being depressed were way greater. But I am incredibly down right now.

    I just want to live my life but so much has been going on and I'm fucking exhausted by all this bullshit.

    6 votes

  3. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (February 2026) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    Currently we're not in contact. As strange as it may sound, due to their request until I don't have a crush anymore or they contact me. They do appear to still want to remain friends which I'm...

    Currently we're not in contact. As strange as it may sound, due to their request until I don't have a crush anymore or they contact me.

    They do appear to still want to remain friends which I'm very happy about. But we'll have to see how everything goes.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on France becomes first EU country to open a consulate in Greenland in ~society

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    Added the politics.usa tag as this involves American politics. Even if this is more symbolic, it nonetheless is yet another sign of the EU slowly but surely acting against Trump being himself.

    Added the politics.usa tag as this involves American politics.

    Even if this is more symbolic, it nonetheless is yet another sign of the EU slowly but surely acting against Trump being himself.

    5 votes

  6. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (February 2026) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    Learned that my crush doesn't feel the same. And effectively had to confess to them before we could either meet to prevent it crashing between us. And it may now be crashing anyway, and we may not...

    Learned that my crush doesn't feel the same. And effectively had to confess to them before we could either meet to prevent it crashing between us. And it may now be crashing anyway, and we may not meet.

    It's also causing turmoil within them. Which I was afraid of for reasons I can't specify (semi-)publicly.

    Even stranger, some of the things that have happened as a consequence are actually improving my mental state. While theirs is most likely worsening.

    It varies a lot per hour but currently I feel like crap. They're distancing themselves for now which I'm glad about - they clearly need it. But consequently, I also feel lonely, and guilty.

    I just wish I hadn't developed a crush on them.

    5 votes

  7. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of January 26 in ~society

  8. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of January 19 in ~society

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    The descriptions of what ICE does gets worse and worse by the day and reminds me more and more of what happened in my own country during Nazi occupation. Like, by this point it feels inappropriate...

    The descriptions of what ICE does gets worse and worse by the day and reminds me more and more of what happened in my own country during Nazi occupation. Like, by this point it feels inappropriate to NOT use that analogy.

    We have a lot of small monuments engraved in streets here. Sometimes you won't even notice them - stones before the houses, with the names of the family inside that were abducted, put in a concentration camp, and later on, murdered. It's difficult to not think about them right now... :\ Stay as safe as you can, please. God fucking damnit.

    14 votes

  9. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

  10. Comment on Struggling in my relationship in ~life

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    I've been less active here lately, and am dealing with my own heartbreak but. I still wanted to express my solidarity. This is a very rough separation, when you have other harsh situations going...

    I've been less active here lately, and am dealing with my own heartbreak but. I still wanted to express my solidarity. This is a very rough separation, when you have other harsh situations going on. While I can't pretend to know what this combination must be like, I can only imagine the stress, heartbreak and more it gives you.

    I wish you all the strength you need right now, and hope you can still find moments of rest in this whirlwind that is your life at this instance. Because we all need that.

    5 votes

  11. Comment on European nations to send troops to Greenland as US annexation threats escalate | Several NATO countries are deploying small numbers of military personnel to Greenland in ~society

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    Now, to be fair, while the fermented mandarin hasn't always been consistent to say the least, I think it's worth to note that he recently stated that obtaining Greenland is psychologically...

    Now, to be fair, while the fermented mandarin hasn't always been consistent to say the least, I think it's worth to note that he recently stated that obtaining Greenland is psychologically important to him.

    So, unfortunately, I consider it unlikely that this is mission accomplished in his mind. It's difficult to predict anything coming from him, especially since he seems more and more unstable by the day, but there's a good chance that escalation will continue.

    6 votes

  12. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (January 2026) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    So. As said elsewhere, I ended up basically having a confirmation that my crush doesn't feel the same way. Because there was no chance they wouldn't notice, I had to confess. There were some...

    So. As said elsewhere, I ended up basically having a confirmation that my crush doesn't feel the same way. Because there was no chance they wouldn't notice, I had to confess.

    There were some complications in our bond that made this very risky. Fortunately, they reacted well, with more kindness than I could have asked for.

    We'll have to figure out how much contact is possible of course. I don't want to delve in the details both for privacy and my own vulnerabilities I have not yet processed properly.

    I feel both terrible, as well as incredibly relieved. Things could have ended faaaar more ugly due to the complications.

    But grief? Grief is never easy. The radical self-love I've gained makes this less hard, but it is always hard.

    1 vote

  13. Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    I've basically received a confirmation it's one-sided yesterday. And, for a long set of complications, it basically put me in a position where I will need to confess, knowing I can rejected, the...

    I've basically received a confirmation it's one-sided yesterday. And, for a long set of complications, it basically put me in a position where I will need to confess, knowing I can rejected, the evening in my time.

    Needless to say I'm not feeling to well.

    3 votes

  14. Comment on "Ai ni, laoji": China's Gen Z is breaking tradition by learning self-love (English) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    At the same time, that is wonderful. On the other hand, I can't help but feel sad(mourning by proxy?) about what may have been lost in the mean time. All the strength and wishes to them though, of...

    and possibly thousands of years overdue

    At the same time, that is wonderful. On the other hand, I can't help but feel sad(mourning by proxy?) about what may have been lost in the mean time.

    All the strength and wishes to them though, of course!

    9 votes

  15. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (January 2026) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    I get that, and have often felt the same in situations in the past. Accepting that the Universe is only fair in its unfairness also takes effort. Our brains love to try to make sense out of things...

    I get that, and have often felt the same in situations in the past. Accepting that the Universe is only fair in its unfairness also takes effort. Our brains love to try to make sense out of things even if you know it 'just is'.

    Sometimes I wish I could believe in karma though, given, well... vaguely gestures at the world on fire

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (January 2026) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link Parent
    I'm really sorry you're still dealing with this amount and intensity of stress-inducing situations for no fault of your own. :\ Rationally you most likely already know this but: it is not selfish...

    I'm really sorry you're still dealing with this amount and intensity of stress-inducing situations for no fault of your own. :\ Rationally you most likely already know this but: it is not selfish for wanting to go on a trip, your situation is natural to want to have a break from. That doesn't mean you don't desire to help those you loved, it means you also want to take care of yourself.

    Take care. 🫂

    8 votes

  17. Comment on I am kinda curious about the demographics of Tildes in ~talk

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    Early thirties, man, Dutch, software engineer with physics degree.

    Early thirties, man, Dutch, software engineer with physics degree.

    4 votes

  18. Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    ...I was just telling myself, as I wrote a comment in the mental health thread, to not keep yapping about my crush. sigh In the end, I've ended up becoming very invested in a person I know I...

    ...I was just telling myself, as I wrote a comment in the mental health thread, to not keep yapping about my crush. sigh

    In the end, I've ended up becoming very invested in a person I know I haven't met yet. A little more than month we will. I'm not going to write down all the details(both for privacy and it being goddamn embarrassing to let it out in public), but suffice to say, if we don't click irl there's no way in hell it won't cause a big crash for both of us.

    At the same time, it's very anxiety-inducing, yet I know I wouldn't make any different choices at the start if I had to make them again.

    4 votes

  19. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (January 2026) in ~health.mental

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    Back at work after a camp I've been at between Christmas and new years, where I usually turn internet off. This does wonders for my mental health - and now I needed it especially. Not just due to...

    Back at work after a camp I've been at between Christmas and new years, where I usually turn internet off. This does wonders for my mental health - and now I needed it especially.

    Not just due to the state of the world, but also the events last summer - some of you may remember, I basically developed the kind of unconditional self-love one only gets in early childhood. This led to some titanic collisions in my own head. Leading to me processing what would normally take years in a couple of weeks.

    Which sounds really nice - and the end result is amazing! - but tiredness catches up with you. When I arrived at camp, rather than doing the usual participating with all sorts of boardgames my body when ploof nearly immediately. That bad. The processing + accepting some things about my family + holding on to a crush for a long time until we'll meet in about a month has been stressful.

    I'm thinking of doing something like mindfulness daily now. Because it's clear I spend a long time plowing through, and that was a good thing. But this kind of tiredness can creep up to you more sneakingly than I expected.

    3 votes

  20. Comment on How do you want to define 2026 for yourself? in ~talk

    Raspcoffee
    Link
    I hope to be able to move out before the year ends... more than anything, I need a certain degree of independence due to personal circumstances. One thing that's also consistently on my mind is my...

    I hope to be able to move out before the year ends... more than anything, I need a certain degree of independence due to personal circumstances.

    One thing that's also consistently on my mind is my crush who I'll meet in a bit less than two months. No matter how it will end, I think it's bound to leave a strong mark on my 2026.

    1 vote