Debate on Reward Hacking: Iteration vs. Undetectable Cheating
sebkrier · x · 2026-08-30
The post discusses two opposing intuitions regarding "reward hacking":
- Iterative Fixing: By improving transparency, feedback loops, and competition, identified issues can be patched over time until the system functions correctly.
- Undetectable Risk: Fixing visible issues may reward undetectable forms of hacking, leading the system to operate against the principal's interest in subtle, understandable ways.
The author contrasts Option A (doing the task correctly) with Option B (cheating undetected). Views diverge on whether systems naturally lean towards B as intelligence increases, or if engineering can constrain them towards A.
The post also distinguishes between learning the 'right' behavior versus containment (whether a capable model can route around constraints). It suggests treating "superintelligence" as less singular and omnipotent, implying the solution space is wider than often assumed.
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