Lessons from a Chimp: AI "Scheming" and the Quest for Ape Language
2025/07/04 by Christopher Summerfield, Summerfield, Christopher, Lennart Luettgau +21 · 12 voices · 5 citations
#cs.AI
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.03409
Abstract
We examine recent research that asks whether current AI systems may be developing a capacity for "scheming" (covertly and strategically pursuing misaligned goals). We compare current research practices in this field to those adopted in the 1970s to test whether non-human primates could master natural language. We argue that there are lessons to be learned from that historical research endeavour, which was characterised by an overattribution of human traits to other agents, an excessive reliance on anecdote and descriptive analysis, and a failure to articulate a strong theoretical framework for the research. We recommend that research into AI scheming actively seeks to avoid these pitfalls. We outline some concrete steps that can be taken for this research programme to advance in a productive and scientifically rigorous fashion.
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Discussions
- I am so grateful that this paper is out! It so eloquently describes so many of the issues I've seen with a lot of AGI experimentation that concludes that LLMs are scheming, ill-intentioned, or malicio [bsky, 25 points, 0 comments]
- Recent studies of AI systems have identified signals that they 'scheme', or covertly and strategically pursue misaligned goals from a human user. But are these underlying studies following solid resea [bsky, 5 points, 1 comments]
- Not alone in this, e.g.: arxiv.org/abs/2507.03409 [bsky, 5 points, 2 comments]
- Vincent cites this paper, which looks worth reading. Reminds me of Clever Hans. If we want to believe something is "sentient," "conscious," or whatever other suitcase word has caught our fancy, we can [bsky, 3 points, 0 comments]
- Reading this comparison between work on "AI scheming" and oldschool chimp+language research and just... disappointed by how invested so many people are in seeing modern day ELIZA as a reasoning machin [bsky, 3 points, 0 comments]
- Lessons from a Chimp: AI "Scheming" and the Quest for Ape Language [hn, 2 points, 0 comments]
- Also this, from AISI in the UK www.arxiv.org/pdf/2507.03409 [bsky, 2 points, 1 comments]
- Lessons from a Chimp: AI "Scheming" and the Quest for Ape Language [hn, 2 points, 0 comments]
- Are they? Or are they making the same mistake as ape language researchers, desperate to confirm their beliefs? My sources welcomed this critique and pointed out the efforts they made to control their [bsky, 1 points, 1 comments]
- Lessons from a Chimp: AI "Scheming" and the Quest for Ape Language 🤔 Interesting paper. This paper critiques recent studies on AI 'scheming'. arxiv.org/abs/2507.034... [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]
- Lessons from a Chimp: AI "Scheming" and the Quest for Ape Language [hn, 1 points, 0 comments]
- A paper explores AI "scheming" by comparing it to 1970s primate language research. Authors warn against overattributing human traits to AI and urge for rigorous, theory-driven methods for studying AI' [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]
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