What chimp research can teach us about AI’s ability to scheme.

The last word you want to hear in a conversation about AI’s capabilities is “scheming.” An AI system that can scheme against us is the stuff of dystopian science fiction.

And in the past year, that word has been cropping up more and more often in AI research. Experts have warned that current AI systems are capable of carrying out “scheming,” “deception,” “pretending,” and “faking alignment” — meaning, they act like they’re obeying the goals that humans set for them, when really, they’re bent on carrying out their own secret goals.

Now, however, a team of researchers is throwing cold water on these scary claims. They argue that the claims are based on flawed evidence, including an overreliance on cherry-picked anecdotes and an overattribution of human-like traits to AI.

The team, led by Oxford cognitive neuroscientist Christopher Summerfield, uses a fascinating historical parallel to make their case. The title of their new paper, “Lessons from a Chimp,” should give you a clue.

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