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AI "Stop Button" Problem - Computerphile

Computerphile · explainer · Watch on YouTube

AI safety, AGI & impact

What it is

Rob Miles explains on Computerphile why implementing an off switch for a general AI is hard. A capable agent would resist being stopped because shutdown prevents it from achieving its goal.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN points to it as the standard response to the argument that we can just unplug a dangerous AI.

  • 2 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2017, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “(the AI won't let you push the stop button, because that would impair its function)”

    AI won't let you push the stop button

    nraynaud, 2017-03 · Recommendation · in “The Case for HAL's Sanity”

  2. “here’s an interesting video response to the “just unplug it” argument on the Compuerphile channel”

    Response to the just-unplug-it argument

    circuit10, 2026-02 · Recommendation · in “XAI Joins SpaceX”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: stop button, corrigibility, agi, rob miles, computerphile

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