The Gradient
The Reasonable Effectiveness of Virtue Ethics in AI Alignment
Preface
This essay argues that rational people don’t have goals, and that rational AIs shouldn’t...
18th Feb 2026
Preface
This essay argues that rational people don’t have goals, and that rational AIs shouldn’t have goals. Human actions are rational not because we direct them at some final ‘goals,’ but because we align actions to practices[1]: networks of actions, action-dispositions,...
The Gradient
AGI Is Not Multimodal
"In projecting language back as the model for thought, we lose sight of the tacit embodied...
4th Jun 2025
"In projecting language back as the model for thought, we lose sight of the tacit embodied understanding that undergirds our intelligence." –Terry Winograd
The recent successes of generative AI models have convinced some that AGI is imminent. While these models appear to capture...
The Gradient
Shape, Symmetries, and Structure: The Changing Role of Mathematics in Machine Learning Research
What is the Role of Mathematics in Modern Machine Learning?
The past decade has witnessed a shift in...
16th Nov 2024
What is the Role of Mathematics in Modern Machine Learning?
The past decade has witnessed a shift in how progress is made in machine learning. Research involving carefully designed and mathematically principled architectures result in only marginal improvements while...
The Gradient
What's Missing From LLM Chatbots: A Sense of Purpose
LLM-based chatbots’ capabilities have been advancing every month. These improvements are mostly...
9th Sep 2024
LLM-based chatbots’ capabilities have been advancing every month. These improvements are mostly measured by benchmarks like MMLU, HumanEval, and MATH (e.g. sonnet 3.5, gpt-4o). However, as these measures get more and more saturated, is user experience increasing in proportion to...
The Gradient
We Need Positive Visions for AI Grounded in Wellbeing
Introduction
Imagine yourself a decade ago, jumping directly into the present shock of conversing...
3rd Aug 2024
Introduction
Imagine yourself a decade ago, jumping directly into the present shock of conversing naturally with an encyclopedic AI that crafts images, writes code, and debates philosophy. Won’t this technology almost certainly transform society — and hasn’t AI’s impact on us so...
The Gradient
A Brief Overview of Gender Bias in AI
A brief overview and discussion on gender bias in AI
8th Apr 2024
A brief overview and discussion on gender bias in AI
The Gradient
Do text embeddings perfectly encode text?
'Vec2text' can serve as a solution for accurately reverting embeddings back into text, thus...
5th Mar 2024
'Vec2text' can serve as a solution for accurately reverting embeddings back into text, thus highlighting the urgent need for revisiting security protocols around embedded data.
The Gradient
Why Doesn’t My Model Work?
Have you ever trained a model you thought was good, but then it failed miserably when applied to...
24th Feb 2024
Have you ever trained a model you thought was good, but then it failed miserably when applied to real world data? If so, you’re in good company.
The Gradient
Deep learning for single-cell sequencing: a microscope to see the diversity of cells
On the the pivotal role that Deep Learning has played as a key enabler for advancing single-cell...
13th Jan 2024
On the the pivotal role that Deep Learning has played as a key enabler for advancing single-cell sequencing technologies.
The Gradient
Salmon in the Loop
On fish counting – a complex sociotechnical problem in a field that is going through the process of...
16th Dec 2023
On fish counting – a complex sociotechnical problem in a field that is going through the process of digital transformation.
Full Width 
Shortcuts 
Sign Up 
Log In 
Articles 
Reading List 