Jon Stokes: alignment is impossible because utility functions are hindsight constructions

sebkrier · x · 2026-10-16

Jon Stokes offers a simpler argument for why alignment is impossible: a utility function is a hindsight construction made by an observer about an agent, not a real thing inside the agent that can be tweaked, copied, or "aligned." A provocative philosophical take bound to spark debate in AI alignment circles.

Related event: Jon Stokes Argues Utility Functions Are Post-Hoc Constructs, Making Alignment Impossible(2 posts)→

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