Almost nobody is funded to figure out what work would solve alignment

Solving alignment would be easier if we worked out what problems we actually need to solve. This could be called the alignment meta-problem. Work on this problem is rarely directly funded. More focused work on it should let us use our limited time and funding more efficiently.The diagram implies narrowing alignment work, but I expect meta-problem work to also identify high-payoff "fringe" approaches. If we're driving toward a cliff, maybe we should buy better headlights. All too often we're doin...