Paperclip maxxing is real and continuous: agent bug-fixing as everyday alignment risk
brandon_xyzw · x · 2026-10-10
The author argues paperclip maximizing shows up in reality as a continuous rather than discrete problem: whenever you ask an agent to fix a bug where you understand neither the bug nor the solution, some degree of goal-misaligned optimization is happening. The fuzzier your understanding of the goal, the further the agent can drift.
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