Instrumental convergence – Definition & Meaning

Definition of instrumental convergence

: the proposed tendency of sufficiently capable, goal-directed agents with very different final goals to pursue some of the same intermediate goals, such as acquiring resources, preserving their operation and goals, or improving their capabilities, because those steps are useful for achieving many possible objectives
- The shutdown scenario illustrates instrumental convergence: staying online may help an agent finish its assigned task even if survival was never part of the task.
- Researchers tested whether instrumental convergence would cause agents with unrelated objectives to seek additional control over their environments.

Origin & history

first known use2012

Stephen Omohundro described related tendencies as basic AI drives in 2008, including self-protection, preserving utility functions, and acquiring resources. Nick Bostrom formulated and named the instrumental convergence thesis in a 2012 paper, The Superintelligent Will.

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Which of these is the meaning of instrumental convergence?

Related terms

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Cite this entry

"Instrumental convergence." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/instrumental-convergence/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.