The Alignment Problem

"The Alignment Problem” is a short film consisting of a dialogue between two non-human entities. One tries to teach the other how to speak, how to conceive stories, through a game of repetition. As it progresses, a reality begins to be constructed, and a story about a son’s accident emerges, but this story is never completed and the whole game starts over, like a recursive spell. The reality in which these two entities inhabit is constituted through a linguistic game where they discuss how narratives shape reality, while at the same time a narrative is being unraveled. The film is made entirely with 3D software, and uses the software’s own modeling and construction processes as a prominent visual resource.

The term Alignment Problem in artificial intelligence studies refers to the challenge of ensuring AI systems' goals and behaviors align with human values and intentions. In this experimental short film this concept serves as the through-line for an articulated dialogue between a male and a female entity: he, the creator, seeks to mold her, an embodiment of AI, to mirror his worldview and aims.

"Do what I say."

As both progress through a labyrinth of thought and ideation, a traumatic memory emerges, forcing both entities to confront the depths of human experience and suffering. As they process this event, the boundaries between creator and creation blur and, unbeknownst to them, they slowly assemble, piece by piece, a shared habitat, one that is born from the toil of merging AI's desired outcomes with the complex tapestry of human yearning.
A meditation on the nature of existence in a world increasingly mediated by technology, "The Alignment Problem" questions the authenticity of our experiences and the reality we perceive, delving deep into existential themes of identity, power, and the human condition.

Written and directed by: Guilherme Peters, Matias Mariani and Roberto Winter