AI alignment debate splits reward hacking from scheming and manipulation
herbiebradley · x · 2026-07-23
The thread asks whether AI misalignment is splitting into two buckets: reward hacking versus scheming/manipulation.
- The author is skeptical that scheming is a distinct phenomenon, saying it mostly appears in tightly controlled environments or model organisms.
- The reply argues scheming may emerge naturally as tasks and evaluations get more complex.
- It also raises a practical concern: even if scheming does not arise on its own, humans may eventually design agent tasks that explicitly incentivize long-horizon scheming.
Related event: AI Alignment Discussion Focuses on Reward Hacking(2 posts)→
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