Definition

AI alignment means making sure AI does what humans want it to do. It’s about designing systems that act in line with our goals, avoid harm, and don’t behave in unexpected or dangerous ways.

Example

AI alignment helps prevent a chatbot from giving harmful advice or making biased decisions.

How It’s Used in AI

AI alignment is used in model training, safety checks, and ethical design. It's especially important in powerful systems like LLMs and future AGI, where the stakes are higher. Researchers test how models behave and fine-tune them to avoid bad outcomes.

Brief History

The concept became more urgent in the 2010s as AI systems like language models became more powerful. Thinkers like Eliezer Yudkowsky and organizations like OpenAI and Anthropic have pushed alignment research forward.

Key Tools or Models

Projects like OpenAI’s RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback), Anthropic’s Constitutional AI, and DeepMind’s safety tools are built to keep models aligned with human intentions.

Pro Tip

Alignment isn’t just about tech—it includes ethics, culture, and policy. The most useful AI is also the most aligned with people.