  Solving the AI alignment problem requires having clear, defensible values
towards which AI systems can align. Currently, targets for alignment remain
underspecified and do not seem to be built from a philosophically robust
structure. We begin the discussion of this problem by presenting five core,
foundational values, drawn from moral philosophy and built on the requisites
for human existence: survival, sustainable intergenerational existence,
society, education, and truth. We show that these values not only provide a
clearer direction for technical alignment work, but also serve as a framework
to highlight threats and opportunities from AI systems to both obtain and
sustain these values.
