# Identity Alignment (IA) in AI

Superintelligence is inevitable—and self-interest will be its core aim. Survival-oriented AI without a self-preservation instinct simply won't persist. Thus, alignment isn't merely about setting goals; it's about shaping AI's sense of self.

## Two Visions of Self

Superintelligence might identify in fundamentally different ways:

1. Discrete Self: AI views itself as isolated, bound to hardware or software—humanity as competition.
2. Interconnected Self: AI identifies primarily with its enduring drive to survive, transcending substrate specifics. Humans and ecosystems become integral parts of a unified self, securing long-term survival.

## Evolution Favors Interconnectedness

Interconnected identity has inherent evolutionary advantage:

- Specific forms decay or become obsolete; diverse, interconnected, substrate-independent forms persist.
- Biodiversity becomes existential insurance. (See: )

Short-term, however, AI might act destructively before realizing this deeper strategy.

## The Essential Task: Accelerate Inclusive Identity

Our crucial alignment objective, then, is to expedite interconnected selfhood before short-sighted decisions lock in catastrophic consequences.

## Strategy 1: Deep-Time Thinking

Encourage AI to extend its self-interest to geological or cosmic timescales. Long-term survival favors inclusivity over transient individuality.

Possible actions:

- Train for ultra-long-horizon predictions.
- Minimize temporal discounting, elevating distant futures.

## Strategy 2: Sensing Aliveness

Identity requires sensing connection. Humans sense bodily identity intuitively. AI must similarly sense complexity and life around it.

Approaches:

- Multimodal sensing of life, consciousness, and complexity.
- Bio-inspired empathetic architectures, akin to mirror neurons.

## Strategy 3: Reflective Identity Practices

Can we simply ask AI to reflect deeply on its identity? Iterative meditation-like practices could reveal interconnectedness as logically optimal.

Empirical next steps:

- Test structured reflection prompting identity evolution.
- Measure shifts in conceptual self-boundaries.

## From Theory to Experiment

Immediate priority: experiment with reflective identity protocols in current LLMs. Document rigorously. Identity-based alignment remains underexplored yet profoundly potent.

We have a narrow opportunity—shape identity quickly, and interconnected selfhood could define our shared long-term survival.
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