Scientific Definition
Optimizing a proxy of the goal degrades the actual goal.
Plain-English Definition
Optimizing a proxy of the goal degrades the actual goal.
Feynman Explanation
The metric is not the mission.
Core Principle
Optimizing a proxy of the goal degrades the actual goal.
Mechanisms
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
The metric is not the mission.
Examples
- Click-through rates that drive worse user experience.
- AI rolled out against proxy KPIs that diverge from real value.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Continuously validate proxies against true business outcomes.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
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The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Continuously validate proxies against true business outcomes.
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Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Models trained to follow a written set of principles.
Outer: the spec matches our intent. Inner: the model actually pursues the spec.
The trained model develops its own internal optimizer.
What the model is actually optimizing.
Maximizing the reward signal in unintended ways.
Reinforcement learning from human feedback.
The model achieves the goal as stated, not as intended.
Written rules about how AI may be used internally.
Innovators → early adopters → majority → laggards, AI-specific.
AI system that takes actions to achieve goals, often across tools.
When the agent acts, who's responsible?
Augmentation strategy vs. substitution strategy.