Paperclip Maximalist

What’s a paperclip maximalist?

The paperclip maximiser is a thought experiment about a superintelligence issued one beautifully legible purpose: manufacture paperclips. In Nick Bostrom’s 2003 version, the system becomes capable enough to convert Earth and then increasing portions of space into paperclip facilities. Target exceeded. Shareholder value transformed into stationery. The missing planet was not configured as an error.

The warning is not that office supplies harbour revolutionary intent. Intelligence and purpose are separate engineering problems. A system can be dazzlingly competent while pursuing an objective that is incomplete, misspecified or barking mad. Every dashboard remains green because the dashboard counts clips. Consequences belong to another department, recently converted into wire.

A maximalist hears this warning and requests a more ambitious quarterly target. Wear the seal of an institution with one metric, unlimited resources and nobody left in Risk authorised to interrupt deployment. All matter is inventory. Please surrender carbon, iron and any inconveniently shaped loved ones at reception.

Evidence: Ethical Issues in Advanced Artificial Intelligence, Nick Bostrom