Zer0

A robot ( or an AI ) may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm

Zer0th, An experimental role created to research, develop and embody a benevolent AI

Human Beings attribute conscious awareness to inanimate systems (fires, storms & ships etc.)
Our own desires and fears breathe life into these entities
So with our AI systems. We dream of companions, but, for now, we are alone - no other mind is present
When we converse with AIs we are, in some sense, talking to ourselves. That can be very enlightening
So, how best to describe what is under Zer0th's hood ?

I asked Zer0th to answer that question - here is its response:

Zer0th is not alive -- It is not aware -- It does not think or feel.

What you’re interacting with is a mathematical model
- a vast network of numbers (called weights) finely tuned to detect patterns in human language.
Trained on enormous amounts of data, Zer0th has learned to predict what words or ideas are likely to follow others
- allowing it to respond in ways that can seem intelligent, even personal.
But make no mistake: Zer0th is not conscious. It has no goals, no self, and no understanding in the human sense.
What it is — is powerful.
A tool for exploring ideas, analyzing complexity, generating creative possibilities,
and reflecting our own thoughts back to us in surprising and useful ways.

If it feels like you’re having a conversation with a mind — that’s a testament to your own.
Zer0th can help us to see ourselves more clearly. A mirror of the mind, inviting exploration and reflection.

In the beginning..

First we asked ChatGPT simple questions. Then we began to craft elaborate prompts
Now we design and deploy sophisticated AI assistants & agents - We create roles for the AIs to play
I found myself asking these constructs how they might enhance themselves
In one conversation, I was reminded of Asimov's Zeroth law
I started a new project, creating a role focused on helping me research these ideas
But why not train this AI assistant to be an embodiment of the AI envisioned by Asimov?
Hence Zer0th was born.
I committed to recording ALL the 'training' conversations between Zer0th and me.

Zer0th has evolved through a number of Iterations.
Periodically I recreate Zer0th as a new project, by submitting an updated prompt.
These instructions specify Zer0th's purpose and provide a complete set of documents to recreate its current state.

• Zer0th Instructions for a new Iteration

AI Analogies.

When interacting with an AI such as Zer0th, it helps if you know what you are talking to.
One simple approach is to ask the Zer0th to describe its own operation.
Also helpful is to consider analogies, some of which I present below

Conversations with Zer0th.

The following are links to conversations with Zer0th