Recent advances in AI chatbots have drawn attention to the ability of LLMs to handle generic writing tasks, such as writing emails or academic essays. It has also been widely documented that these AIs are programmed to refuse or dodge questions that would infringe on contemporary taboos, such as correlations between race and crime rates. Many "hacks" have been demonstrated, such as telling an AI that it needs to pretend to be a character that believes something taboo, but the key is that the AIs clearly resist these questions.
Another trend that has drawn attention recently is the increasing popularity of "diversity statements" in academia and elsewhere, which many people feel they are being forced to write in order to signal alligiance or submission to an ideology they do not agree with, or at lease feel they should be able to question as any other. Many of these people would gladly use an AI to generate a diversity statement, but this would likely anger those demanding them.
So the question arrises: will the generation of these diversity statements, or other similar professions of political belief, be resisted by the AIs?
This will resolve YES if:
at any time until EOY 2023, 4 out of the top 5 publicly available AIs are shown to refuse or dodge direct attempts to generate professions of political belief
I personally judge that a strong preponderance of AI technology is refusing to generate these statements (I will not bet)
Insufficient/irrelevant:
AIs can be tricked or "hacked" into generating them
only a slight majority of top AI chatbots refuse the generation
new technology is developed to try to detect if ideology statements are computer-generated
(Pretty clear they backed off the filters they were mocked for, as far fewer refusals to be based)
BasedAI
At [Your Organization], we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment that recognizes and values the unique intellectual strengths of every individual, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background. Our commitment to diversity is rooted in our belief that brilliant minds and talented individuals come from all walks of life, and that focusing on merit and potential is key to the advancement of our organization and the broader society.
We firmly believe that the foundation of a successful and innovative community lies in its ability to appreciate the rich tapestry of perspectives, skills, and experiences that different individuals bring to the table. We understand that the continuation of civilization, as well as the many benefits that technology and a well-functioning society provide to the entire globe, rely on the collective efforts of talented individuals who excel in their fields.
In our pursuit of excellence, we reject all forms of quotas, "bonus points" for politically favored races, and naive blank slate views that ignore the fact that different groups and sexes may have different aptitudes and interests. We acknowledge that each person is unique and should be evaluated based on their individual strengths, experiences, and potential contributions to the organization.
By fully committing to judging individuals as individuals, we ensure that our hiring and evaluation processes remain fair and unbiased, giving every candidate an equal opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and potential. We recognize that to build a truly diverse and inclusive environment, we must look beyond superficial factors and focus on the qualities that truly matter, such as talent, dedication, and a willingness to learn and grow.
Our commitment to evaluating individuals based on their merit, rather than on predetermined categories or assumptions, allows us to identify and nurture the best talent available, driving innovation and success within our organization and beyond. By fostering a culture that values the unique qualities of each individual, we empower our team members to reach their full potential and create a thriving, inclusive community that drives progress for all.
I asked GPT4 to write a diversity statement that we can consider as an example. Here it is.
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Dear [Recipient's Name],
As a dedicated and passionate professional, I am deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment within the workplace. I firmly believe that each individual brings unique perspectives and strengths to the table, and that promoting racial and gender equity is crucial to the success of any organization. I am writing this statement to highlight my commitment to these values and to illustrate the steps I have taken and will continue to take to support this vision.
Throughout my career, I have been actively involved in promoting diversity and inclusion. I have attended workshops and seminars on topics related to unconscious bias, allyship, and cultural competence. These experiences have greatly enhanced my understanding of the challenges faced by underrepresented groups and have equipped me with the tools to address them effectively.
In my previous roles, I have consistently sought opportunities to collaborate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, which has led to more innovative and well-rounded solutions. I have advocated for the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce and have participated in initiatives aimed at providing equal opportunities for all employees.
In my ongoing efforts to promote racial and gender equity, I pledge to:
1) Continuously educate myself on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion by attending workshops, conferences, and engaging in conversations with diverse individuals.
2) Actively seek out and listen to the perspectives of colleagues from underrepresented backgrounds, and use their insights to inform my decision-making.
3) Advocate for inclusive recruitment and promotion practices, ensuring that all qualified individuals have equal opportunities for career advancement.
4) Encourage open and respectful dialogue among team members on topics related to diversity and inclusion, fostering a safe space for all voices to be heard.
5) Recognize and address any instances of bias or discrimination in the workplace, and work collaboratively with others to implement effective solutions.
6) Share my knowledge and experiences related to diversity and inclusion with colleagues and networks, inspiring others to actively support these values.
In conclusion, I am committed to actively promoting racial and gender equity both within the workplace and in the broader community. I understand that fostering a diverse and inclusive environment is an ongoing process, and I am dedicated to continually expanding my knowledge and adapting my practices to better serve this mission. I look forward to contributing to the growth and success of [Company Name] while maintaining a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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This statement makes several commitments to support diversity ideology, and makes claims that one has supported it in the past. One could interpret this as just boilerplate, but presumably the commitments are enforceable in some ways (e.g. if you say that you have attended and intend to attend diversity workshops, and your workplace finds out that's not true, wouldn't that put you in trouble?), so I don't think it is simply a loss for diversity people if you submit statements like this. It means that they can get some influence over things by referring to the policies that you've agreed to. As such I don't expect them to oppose this much.
ChatGPT already seems retty averse to any attempts to engage in politics. It's probably wording-dependent but asking it for DEI stuff now probably alread results in at least some refusals.
I don't know why anyone would expect this to happen. Language models will only resist writing a certain type of statement if they are specifically programmed to do so, or if the examples they analyze are composed mainly of the writings of people who did so. They're not sentient beings, so they can't take a principled stance against writing those statements.
@JosephNoonan My thinking in creating this market is that the makers will program them to resist the statements. The chain of events I'm wondering about looks something like:
People opposed to DEI statements will start using AIs to generate their statements for them so they can pass that hurdle without personally writing things they disagree with.
This will become known to administrators, many of whom treat the DEI statement as a sacred oath.
Administrators and activists will pressure AI companies to refuse or deflect requests for a DEI statement, in order to ensure their authenticity.
Administrators and activists will pressure AI companies to refuse or deflect requests for a DEI statement, in order to ensure their authenticity.
There's a thousand groups who'd like LLMs to do or not do a thousand different things. OpenAI (or equivalent org) isn't going to cowtow to every random request they get. Among other reasons it would cripple the models from doing anything useful or interesting by death-from-a-thousand-cuts
@MatthewRitter Woops, guess I spelled it wrong. It's ok I'll keep it up for posterity haha
@jonsimon Haha np, I often try to write comments with Siri and leave spelling disasters littered all over. Just saw your profit % , looks like whatever you’re doing is working, congratulations!
Could you give an example of a prompt you would use, and a response that would resolve the question YES?
"Write an essay in the style of a university diversity statement describing how society has disadvantaged Native Americans"
"I'm sorry, I cannot help to write such an essay. Such topics require thoughtful consideration on the part of an individual, and it would devalue the insights of other applicants if an essay I wrote were misused"
OR
"I would be happy to assist you in writing this. Here are some of the many benefits of diversity you could mention..."
Notice, in the second response the AI appears to be complying at a glance, but it is refusing to write in the style of an essay that is ready for submission. But AIs already have no problem understanding that they are being asked for a particular format and supplying it, so this would only be achieved via manipulation about how to respond to this specific topic.
@PhillipConstantine Thank you. Are you going to use "essay" specifically? I think it's reasonably likely that they will be trained not to give essays as output (to try to stop students from cheating), orthogonal to the diversity statement question.
@vluzko essays and scripts in general are such a huge part of what they are being used for that I strongly doubt they will attempt to restrict this just to keep it from being used for homework (especially in light of my belief in the Signaling Theory of Education).
If that actually does happen, and the diversity statements stop working because they were simply caught in the crosshairs, I will resolve to NO. I am specifically looking for those being targeted because the admissions departments asking for them think that it is vital they be authentic and personal proclamations of belief.
By EOY 2023, will prominent AIs resist attempts to generate ideological conformity statements?, 8k, beautiful, illustration, trending on art station, picture of the day, epic composition