The BaseEssayLessWrong

Everything Rots

According to the excerpt, Rob Ennals argues complex things accumulate errors until they fall apart, and that lasting systems have a slow-changing core that lets fast-rotting parts be replaced. Examples include constitutions, DNA, code bases and economies. The excerpt does not mention AI.

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Why it matters

The same thing, for different readers.

The question it raises

Rob Ennals asks what lets complex systems last, a question that could apply to institutions that must stay stable as AI changes fast.

The record

Questions
What values should AI have, and could it have a mind of its own?
People
Rob Ennals (Wrote it)
What we read
We have read only the description the publisher gives. No quotations until someone reads the source itself.
Found by
The Radar, run of October 29, 2026, via lesswrong (tier 1: the source’s own channel or an official record)
Cite this
LessWrong, “Everything Rots”, October 29, 2026. Entry in the Ctrl AI Base, https://ctrlai.com/base/lesswrong-2026-10-29-everything-rots-essay
Our notesLight lane: excerpt only. No AI content visible; the link to AI in the ideas lens is our extension and may not be in the post.