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Original · left

Alignment (physical)

Arranging physical items in a straight row or bringing vehicle wheels into parallel position.

First in use: the 1700s
Duplicate · right

AI alignment

Steering an AI model's behaviors, objectives, and ethical boundaries to match human values and safety standards.

First in use: c. 2014

Alignment / Alignment (physical) / AI alignment

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Canonical todayMeasuring…
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Duplicate share · 12 mo—
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Wheel alignment vs. what the model wants.

Which meaning of Alignment is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Alignment (physical) came first (the 1700s). AI alignment arrived in 2014. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Alignment (physical)AI alignment
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · the 1700s

Alignment (physical)

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Duplicate · c. 2014

AI alignment

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More duplicated terms

AI & machine learning