Alex Altair
Mathematically-founded software developer and AI safety researcher
San Francisco Bay Area
Summary
Mathematically-founded software developer with a research orientation: presents himself as a developer grounded in mathematics who moved to the Bay Area from doing theory-of-intelligence research; engages both in software engineering roles and in thinking about AI/epistemic questions. alexaltair+1
Active contributor to AI alignment and safety discourse: participates in the AI alignment community, has project-lead roles and posts connected to AI Safety Camp and the Alignment Forum. alignmentforum
Public-facing writer and storyteller: maintains multiple blogs and author pages with essays on mathematics, entropy, human nature, and short fiction, indicating a sustained effort in public writing and reflection. namelessvirtue+2
Practitioner of practical web and software tooling: background includes a Web Development Immersive, GitHub activity, StackOverflow/MathOverflow participation, and roles as data engineer and software engineer, showing a mix of applied engineering and community technical contributions. github+2
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
Worship
April 1, 2020Short story published on The Nameless Virtue exploring a future mind experiencing humanity's past.
Technical Note 2020
January 1, 2020Practical technical guidance for participating in the online Secular Solstice event (web app, audio/video setup, logistics).
A simple model of math skill
Essay arguing that definitions are easier than theorems, which are easier than proofs, and discussing relative difficulty of generating them.
Dealing with infinite entropy
Essay on understanding the entropy of a state even when the number of states is infinite.
Various posts on The Nameless Virtue and Altairspace
Collection of essays and reflections (e.g., 'Just Curious', 'Getting Closer') on human nature, observation, and personal reflections.