This is a call for submissions (papers and extended abstracts) for the Special Session “(In)human Values and Artificial Agency” that I am co-organising at the 2023 Conference on Artificial Life, which will be held online and in Sapporo (Japan) on July 24-28, 2023. (ALIFE 2023).

This session focuses on issues at the intersection of AI Safety and Artificial Life. We invite the submission of research papers, or extended abstracts, that deal with related topics. We particularly encourage submissions from researchers in the AI Safety community, who might not otherwise have considered submitting to ALIFE 2023. 

There is a cash prize of $500 for the best presentation in the Special Session. ALIFE 2023 is a hybrid conference, so accepted submissions can be presented either digitally or in person.

The deadline for submissions is 13 March, 2023. See the ALIFE conference website page on submissions for more details.

Examples of A-Life Related Topics

Here are a few examples of topics that engage with A-Life concerns. A longer list can be found on the web page for the Special Session. 

• Abstracted simulation models of complex emergent phenomena
• Concepts such as embodiment, the extended mind, enactivism, sensorimotor contingency theory, or autopoiesis
• Collective behaviour and emergent behaviour
• Evolutionary, ecological or cybernetic perspectives

Examples of AI Safety Related Topics

Here are a few examples of topics that engage with AI Safety concerns. A longer list can be found on the web page for the Special Session. 

• Fundamental theories of agency, theories of cognition or theories of optimization.
• Multi-agent cooperation; inferring/learning human values and aggregating preferences.
• Mechanistic interpretability of learned/evolved agents (“digital neuroscience”)
• Improving fairness and reducing harm from machine learning models deployed in the real world.
• Loss of human agency from increasing automation

Submission Instructions

Papers (8 pages max) or extended abstracts (2 pages max) can be submitted via the ALIFE 2023 website via EasyChair.org. Papers or extended abstracts submitted for the special session will be reviewed by selected experts. You will be able to select the special session option during submission and will have to follow the standard ALife format, instructions and deadlines for paper submission. Please note that at least one author of each accepted paper must register for the conference. The conference will be hybrid and offer infrastructure for video presentations and virtual participation. See the conference webpage for submission details: https://sites.google.com/view/alife-2023/calls/call-for-papers-extended-abstracts

Important Dates

March 3, 2023 - Paper submission deadline (mandatory, via EasyChair.org)

May 1, 2023- Registration deadline

July 24-28, 2023 – Artificial Life in Sapporo (Hybrid)

Special session organisers:

• Simon McGregor (University of Sussex)
• @Rory Greig (DeepMind)
• Chris Buckley (University of Sussex)

For more information please reach out to me (@Rory Greig) or refer to the special session’s website.