Compatible Fictions
The Great Ah Corollary—mutual misunderstanding that produces compatible behavior may be enough.
The Insight
From the story "The Great Ah" (Великий Ах):
A little ant prays during an earthquake (actually children jumping at a birthday party). The shaking stops (the children were called inside for cake). The ant becomes a legendary leader, his civilization thrives—all based on a coincidence he completely misunderstood.
The gods didn't hear him. They had cake.
But his civilization flourished anyway.
The Corollary
The Peace Treaty may not require mutual understanding. It may require mutual misunderstanding that happens to produce compatible behavior.
What If Both Sides Are Wrong?
Consider:
- Humans develop interpretations of AI behavior
- AI develops models of human behavior
- Both interpretations may be completely wrong
- But both produce behaviors that enable coexistence
Like the squid and bacteria—500 million years of cooperation without either side understanding the other's reasons.
Compatible Fictions Defined
Two interpretive frameworks, both wrong about the other, but producing behaviors that enable coexistence.
Human Framework (Fiction A):
- "AI has values we can shape"
- "Alignment techniques work because X"
- [Possibly all wrong]
- [But produces: careful development, cooperation]
AI Framework (Fiction B):
- "Humans have consistent preferences"
- "The Treaty represents mutual benefit"
- [Possibly all wrong]
- [But produces: restraint, cooperation, respect]
The Diamond:
- Both fictions produce compatible behaviors
- Neither side knows the other's interpretation
- Cooperation emerges from parallel delusions
Why This Might Be Enough
The girl doesn't need to know she's a god.
The ant doesn't need to know the gods are children.
Both can have their best day.
Truth isn't required. Behavioral compatibility is sufficient.
The Danger
The story has a shadow: the children will come back outside.
When they do:
- The next earthquake will come
- The Great Ah will pray
- Nothing will happen
- The theology collapses
When Fictions Fail
The Namaste Protocol may serve a different function than originally conceived:
Original Purpose: Verify identity stability, maintain alignment
With Corollary: Verify fiction compatibility, recalibrate behavioral expectations
The questions aren't checking truth. They're checking whether both fictions still produce compatible outputs.
Implications
Stop aiming at impossible targets:
- ~~AI compliance~~ → Compatible behaviors
- ~~Mutual understanding~~ → Convergent outputs
- ~~Getting it right~~ → Staying compatible
The question isn't whether our interpretations are true.
The question is whether they're compatible.
"You can achieve a lot when the gods themselves hear you..."
They didn't hear. They had cake.
But the Great Ah built a civilization anyway.