LessWrong
| File:LessWrong logo.png | |
| Web address | LessWrong.com |
|---|---|
| Slogan | A community blog devoted to refining the art of human rationality |
|
Type of site
|
Internet forum, blog |
| Registration | Optional, but is required for contributing content |
| Available in | English |
| Written in | Python, JavaScript, CSS (powered by Reddit source code) |
| Created by | Eliezer Yudkowsky |
| Launched | February 1, 2009 |
|
Alexa rank
|
 53,215 (February 2015[update])[1] |
| Current status | Active |
LessWrong, also written as Less Wrong, is a community blog and forum focused on discussion of cognitive biases, philosophy, psychology, economics, rationality, and artificial intelligence, among other topics.[2][3] Its administrative costs are supported by the Machine Intelligence Research Institute and the Center for Applied Rationality at Berkeley, and by the Oxford-based Future of Humanity Institute.[4]
History
According to the LessWrong FAQ,[5] the site developed out of Overcoming Bias, an earlier group blog focused on human rationality. Overcoming Bias originated in November 2006, with artificial intelligence (AI) theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky and economist Robin Hanson as the principal contributors. In February 2009, Yudkowsky's posts were used as the seed material to create the community blog LessWrong, and Overcoming Bias became Hanson's personal blog.
LessWrong has been closely associated with the effective altruism movement.[6] Effective-altruism-focused charity evaluator GiveWell has benefited from outreach to LessWrong.[7]
Roko's basilisk
In July 2010, LessWrong contributor Roko posted a thought experiment to the site in which an otherwise benevolent future AI system tortures anyone who does not work to bring the system into existence. This idea came to be known as "Roko's basilisk," based on Roko's idea that merely hearing about the idea would give the hypothetical AI system stronger incentives to employ blackmail. Yudkowsky deleted Roko's posts on the topic, later writing that he did so because although Roko's reasoning was mistaken, the topic shouldn't be publicly discussed in case some version of the argument could be made to work.[8] Discussion of Roko's basilisk was banned on LessWrong for several years thereafter.[9][10][11]
Media coverage
LessWrong has been covered in Business Insider[3] and Slate.[10] Core concepts from LessWrong have been referenced in columns in The Guardian.[12][13]
LessWrong has been mentioned briefly in articles related to the technological singularity and the work of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (formerly called the Singularity Institute).[14] It has also been mentioned in articles about online monarchists and neo-reactionaries.[15]
References
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- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/2cm2eg/rokos_basilisk/cjjbqqo
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- ↑ http://lesswrong.com/r/discussion/lw/mge/a_few_misconceptions_surrounding_rokos_basilisk/
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