Why mesa-optimization fell out of favor: goal misgeneralization is more precise
xuanalogue · x · 2026-09-27
xuanalogue explained why the mesa-optimization term has faded: it seems irrelevant to recent attacks, 'goal misgeneralization' is more precise for some reward hacking cases, and the field now has a richer understanding of model dispositions than the 'learned optimizer inside' framing.
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