One last ironic art exhibit before the world ends forever

Rachel Haywire

May 10, 2023

AI has taken center stage lately. From wild hot accelerationism to apocalyptic doomerism, it seems like everyone suddenly has an opinion on Artificial Intelligence now that OpenAI has let the bot out of the box. AI has even replaced crypto as the topic du jour, and this means that we finally get to have fun again. Victory! Yet what is fun, in the end, without a cautionary tale?

The alignment problem, a core issue with AI, explores the challenge of ensuring that AI systems act in accordance with human intentions. Portrayed in classic sci-fi shows like Battlestar Galactica and milestone films like Ex Machina, the idea that the values of AI could be misaligned with the values of humanity has been a favorite thought experiment for the producers of philosophical media. Eliezer Yudkowsky, now both a prophet of doom and a living meme, has recently appeared on podcasts like Bankless and The Lex Fridman Show in order to warn us about the dangers of accelerating AI and what could happen if — and when — Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) becomes a thing.

Of course, most people have no idea what Eliezar is on about. That is where artists, traditionally the bridge between the nerds and basic bitches, come in to save the day. The Misalignment Museum, located smack in the middle of San Francisco, is a two-story exhibit that educates visitors on the potential dangers of AGI while presenting a fun experience for the entire family. A sign reading “Sorry for killing most of humanity” in a Courier font welcomes you into a space. It’s reminiscent of a hip-hop music video fused with a corporate workspace striving to be trendy. A player piano, straight out of HBO’s Westworld, sits to the left. Tourists feign interest in the conceptual frameworks as locals exchange whispers and drop names.