misalignment
Not lining up
Misalignment occurs when things that should line up or work together don't.
In physical contexts, it describes parts that are out of proper position: The mechanic found misalignment in the front wheels.
More abstractly, misalignment refers to a lack of agreement or compatibility between goals, values, or expectations: There was a misalignment between what management promised and what employees experienced.
In discussions of artificial intelligence, alignment (and its absence, misalignment) has become a key concern—referring to whether an AI system's objectives match human intentions and values.
Lack of steady pattern
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- mismatchIncompatible combination
- gapUnfilled space between
incongruity · difference · deviation · variance · irregularity · dissimilarity · asymmetry · imbalance
Lack of agreement
- conflictOpposition between parties
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- frictionResistance between touching surfaces
tension · strife · antagonism · opposition · contention · dissension · disharmony · rift
Abnormal or unhealthy operation
- incompatibilityUnable to function together
- disconnectTo break a connection
- incongruenceLack of agreement
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
silos · miscommunication · cross-purposes · fragmentation · disintegration · incoherence · disarray · disorganization
Adjusting for measurement accuracy
- adjustmentAlteration to improve fit
- correctionFixing of mistakes
- synchronizationAligning timing across systems
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
offset · skew · tilt · slant · wobble · deviation · drift · wear
Principles held worthwhile
- objectivesIntended targets or ends
- goalsIntended end results
- rewardPayment for service
- optimizationMaximizing efficiency or performance
safety · control · intent · specification · superintelligence · paperclip · orthogonality · instrumental
inconsistency
Lack of steady pattern
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- mismatchIncompatible combination
gap · incongruity · difference · deviation · variance · irregularity · dissimilarity · asymmetry · imbalance · distortion
discord
Lack of agreement
- conflictOpposition between parties
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
friction · tension · strife · antagonism · opposition · contention · dissension · disharmony · rift · schism
dysfunction
Abnormal or unhealthy operation
- incompatibilityUnable to function together
- disconnectTo break a connection
- incongruenceLack of agreement
coordination · silos · miscommunication · cross-purposes · fragmentation · disintegration · incoherence · disarray · disorganization · breakdown
calibration
Adjusting for measurement accuracy
- adjustmentAlteration to improve fit
- correctionFixing of mistakes
- synchronizationAligning timing across systems
tolerance · offset · skew · tilt · slant · wobble · deviation · drift · wear · deformation
values
Principles held worthwhile
- objectivesIntended targets or ends
- goalsIntended end results
- rewardPayment for service
optimization · safety · control · intent · specification · superintelligence · paperclip · orthogonality · instrumental · convergence
- Fit Problemstight squeeze, wrong size, too small, too big, too long
- inconsistenciesinconsistency, discrepancy, contradiction, mismatch, disparity
- craft flawscracks, tears, holes, stains, gaps
- factory problemsdefects, breakdowns, downtime, bottlenecks, delays
- printer problemspaper jam, paper jams, low ink, blank pages, streaking
- adjustment errorsovercorrection, miscalibration, wrong setting, overcompensation, overtightening
misalignmentalignment
Correct relative positioning
proper alignment · straightness · squareness · parallelism · calibration
misalignmentalignment
Correct relative positioning
agreement · harmony · accord · congruence · concordance