Using AI Alignment Theory to understand the potential pitfalls of regulatory frameworks

The objective of this paper is to leverage insights from Alignment Theory (AT) research, which primarily focus on the potential pitfalls of technical alignment in Artificial Intelligence, to critically examine the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act). In the context of AT research, several key failure modes - such as proxy gaming, goal drift, reward hacking or specification gaming - have been identified. These can arise when AI systems are not properly aligned with their intended objectives. The central logic of this report is: what can we learn if we treat regulatory efforts in the same way as we treat advanced AI systems? By applying these concepts to the EU AI Act, this project uncovers potential vulnerabilities and areas for improvement in the regulation, ensuring it effectively addresses the complexities and risks associated with AI technologies.