The Physics of Ideas: Reality as a Coordination Problem (fuck.fail)

A recent paper presents a groundbreaking ontological framework that reevaluates how conflict and stability are understood within social systems. Moving past traditional Realist and Constructivist theories, the authors suggest that peace is dependent on a collective experiential reality, while war arises from a breakdown of shared agreements on moral status and legitimacy. They reinterpret the "Long Peace" of the nuclear age as a forced convergence event, where the destructiveness of nuclear weapons eliminated the conditions for war, fostering a forced alignment of perceptions. The paper's significance for the AI/ML community lies in its exploration of contemporary risks related to Artificial Intelligence and the phenomenon of epistemic fragmentation—where differing understandings and agreements on knowledge and reality can exacerbate social discord. By examining key cases like the placebo effect, the authors underscore the implications of belief systems on societal stability. This framework could prompt AI researchers and developers to consider the sociocultural implications of emerging technologies, particularly how AI influences shared experiences and perceptions, potentially cultivating either cohesion or division in society.