Failinimede

Failinimede is a neologism that has appeared in speculative discussions about information systems, decision processes, and complex behavior. The term is not part of established scientific vocabulary and lacks a formal definition accepted across disciplines. In common usage, failinimede refers to a class of failure phenomena in which attempts to correct a fault or optimize a system produce secondary problems, often through feedback loops, misaligned incentives, or overfitting to a narrow objective.

Typical characterizations describe failinimede as arising when corrective actions alter system behavior in unforeseen ways, or when optimization targets shift after an intervention, creating new misalignments. The phenomenon is sometimes discussed in thought experiments about artificial intelligence safety, organizational change, and complex systems, where planning for unintended consequences is difficult.

Etymology for failinimede is uncertain and appears to have emerged in online forums in the late 2010s. Some writers treat it as a playful coinage highlighting the paradox of remedies that exacerbate issues, while others suggest a blended origin from English “fail” and a suffix intended to evoke remedial or remedial-like processes. Because the term is not standardized, interpretations and definitions vary by author and context.

See also: Goodhart’s law, boomerang effect, failure mode, complex systems, feedback loop.