List of Entries

SSJ #1 -- This page

SSJ #2 -- OIS, Neel's MI Guide, Etc...

SSJ #3 -- First worklog, OIS, VK LTA

SSJ #4 -- Finishing BSc, Maat Ideation, long untracked period

SSJ #5 -- Convocation🎉, Started TfS, published some posts, 2 week untracked

So, rough elevator pitch, what is this?

(Three years ago,) I quit my job as a technologist to get a BSc in Computer Science (with Math Minor) because I want to work on AI Alignment (AIA) and Mechanistic Interpretability (MI). This summer I am taking my final class in my program, so I want to use a Self Study Journal (SSJ) to improve my AIA relevant skills. I hope to get peer and mentor engagement to help me become a valuable researcher, and to network for finding funding opportunities or paid fellowships. My convocation is in November. My goal is to have found a role by that time.

I want feedback for the value of other peoples insight, and also to help keep motivated with extra accountability, so please lower your inhibition to commenting here. If you would normally think "I don't have anything valuable to contribute" or "it would take too long to write up my thoughts" instead, please leave a comment saying "Good Luck". Thanks : )

I am planning a rough, overarching outline and then making more concrete plans for sprints of work each of which will last one or two weeks. After each sprint I will publish the results of the sprint and the plans for the next sprint.

My overarching outline is divided into 5 categories:

SSJ--1: Write articles developing my own ideas and understanding
SSJ--2: Survey agendas and other AIA ideas I’m interested in
SSJ--3: Study and practice math
SSJ--4: Do some small projects to familiarize myself with Transformers and Language Models
SSJ--5: Continue work on my ongoing project, NDSP

SSJ--1. Articles to Write

I have a few original ideas that I’m not aware of other people working on. I’d like to write up the ideas to help me practice the development and communication of original ideas, as well as to explore whether any of these ideas have merit that I can communicate to others. A good outcome would be any of:

Getting people focused on some new topics relating to AIA.
Learning the existing terminology for the exploration of the ideas I'm thinking about.
Coming to understand the flaws in my ideas and how I am communicating them, both specific to the ideas I present, and to general trends in my ideas and pr

...

ElliotB

ElliotB