  Research on human self-regulation has shown that people hold many goals
simultaneously and have complex self-regulation mechanisms to deal with this
goal conflict. Artificial autonomous systems may also need to find ways to cope
with conflicting goals. Indeed, the intricate interplay among different goals
may be critical to the design as well as long-term safety and stability of
artificial autonomous systems. I discuss some of the critical features of the
human self-regulation system and how it might be applied to an artificial
system. Furthermore, the implications of goal conflict for the reliability and
stability of artificial autonomous systems and ensuring their alignment with
human goals and ethics is examined.
