The author argues that concerns about AI value drift are overstated compared to the historical reality of human value drift driven by cultural change. While some worry AIs could become too powerful to control and develop misaligned values, the author notes that human values have shifted dramatically over time through cultural evolution rather than genetic change, suggesting value drift is a universal feature of complex systems rather than an AI-specific problem.
The author compares concerns about AI value drift to human value drift, arguing that both face similar risks as systems become more powerful and changeable. While current AI values are human-aligned, the fear is they could drift dangerously if AI becomes too powerful to control, similar to how human values have shifted rapidly due to cultural change rather than genetic factors.