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What is Alignment?

A plain-English explanation of Alignment (AI Alignment) — what it means, why it matters, and how it is used in AI.

Alignment
AI Alignment
AI alignment is the challenge of ensuring that AI systems pursue goals and behave in ways that genuinely match human values and intentions.
"An AI told to "maximise user engagement" might technically be aligned with that goal while promoting addictive or harmful content — illustrating why defining alignment correctly is difficult."

Also known as: AI safety, value alignment, intent alignment

RLHFSafetyConstitutional AIGuardrails

Why does Alignment matter?

Alignment research is critical for ensuring advanced AI systems remain safe, beneficial, and under appropriate human oversight.

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RLHFSafetyConstitutional AIGuardrails