Some researchers are working on making real world models more aligned, and they either work on the cutting edge (as you suggest here), or maybe on something smaller (if their research is easier to start on a smaller model, maybe).
Some researchers work on problems like Agent Foundations (~ what is the correct mathematical way to model agents, utility functions, and things like that), and I assume they don’t use actual models to experiment with (yet).
Some researchers are trying to make tools that will help other researchers.
Some researchers are working on making real world models more aligned, and they either work on the cutting edge (as you suggest here), or maybe on something smaller (if their research is easier to start on a smaller model, maybe).
Some researchers work on problems like Agent Foundations (~ what is the correct mathematical way to model agents, utility functions, and things like that), and I assume they don’t use actual models to experiment with (yet).
Some researchers are trying to make tools that will help other researchers.
And there are other directions.
You can see many of the agendas here:
(My understanding of) What Everyone in Technical Alignment is Doing and Why