TravelIAQ Lexicon
Goal Misalignment
Perfect logic can still fail when success is defined incorrectly.
Goal Misalignment describes situations in which a system behaves logically and efficiently, yet produces undesirable outcomes because the underlying objective is incomplete, flawed, or misaligned with broader human values. The problem is not reasoning itself, but optimizing the wrong goal.
Examples
- Algorithms maximizing engagement; companies optimizing short-term profit; students chasing grades instead of learning; AI following instructions too literally; policies ignoring human costs.
First Appeared In
Can perfect logic still produce bad outcomes?
Origin
The concept emerged from observing that many failures are not caused by irrationality, but by rational systems pursuing goals that are too narrow to capture what people truly value.