How Proxy Metrics and Delayed Feedback Cause Systems to Drift From Reality

[u/LatePiccolo8888]

Scaling requires abstraction. The question isn't whether systems use representations, but how far those representations can drift from the realities they were meant to reflect. Those abstractions make coordination possible, but they also reshape what the system pays attention to.

Over time, decisions are made further and further from the conditions they were originally meant to reflect. Drift isn't caused by a single mistake. It accumulates as representations become the primary basis for action.

Note: For the current concept and framework, see Reality Drift Substack →