The idea that when a system optimizes too fast (for efficiency, engagement, or simplicity), the fidelity of meaning drops and reality starts to feel thinner, flatter, or slightly fake. It’s what happens when everything becomes streamlined but nothing feels grounded anymore.
“Instagram used to feel real, but now it’s all the same recycled vibe. Total Drift Principle. Compression outran fidelity.”
by GuyWhoWritesDefinitions November 5, 2025
Get the DRIFT PRINCIPLE mug.The gradual loss of context in long AI conversations. The model slowly forgets earlier details, starts making stuff up, or goes completely off-topic because it has no real understanding and refuses to ask for clarification. Forces you to abandon the session and start over.
Coined November 10 2025 by developer Joshua Girod after building AI Driftmaster – an open-source tool that saves full uncompacted chat history in a database so you can reload context anytime.
Opposite of human conversation – we say "wait, what were we talking about?" AI just hallucinates forward.
Coined November 10 2025 by developer Joshua Girod after building AI Driftmaster – an open-source tool that saves full uncompacted chat history in a database so you can reload context anytime.
Opposite of human conversation – we say "wait, what were we talking about?" AI just hallucinates forward.
My Claude session had mad AI drift—started talking about cats when we were debugging code.20 messages in:
User: "Fix the login bug"
AI: "Here's a recipe for banana bread"
Classic AI drift.
User: "Fix the login bug"
AI: "Here's a recipe for banana bread"
Classic AI drift.
by nentrapper November 10, 2025
Get the AI drift mug.by ScroogeMcDuckyDuckFuck December 2, 2025
Get the Postman Pat drift mug.The little girl—a drift tot on a Big Wheel—laid down half-donuts on the bigger-kid-commanded concrete of the skatepark.
by TR Arterburn December 4, 2025
Get the drift tot mug.When choosing between 2 bad things, electing to do both of them at once; a subversion of the Morton's Fork.
The name is a reference to the Trolley Problem, where you are supposed to choose between letting 4 people tied to the track die and pulling the lever, running over 1 person with the trolley and being directly responsible for their death.
The name is a reference to the Trolley Problem, where you are supposed to choose between letting 4 people tied to the track die and pulling the lever, running over 1 person with the trolley and being directly responsible for their death.
Person 1: "If you had to chose, would you rather kill 2 piglets or 1 puppy?"
Person 2: "Multitrack Drifting."
Person 1: "What the fuck."
Person 2: "Multitrack Drifting."
Person 1: "What the fuck."
by Nebulaud March 2, 2025
Get the Multitrack Drifting mug.The practice of visiting multiple thrift stores in succession within a single outing, characterized by a fluid, exploratory approach to shopping without a fixed itinerary, allowing the shopper to “drift” between locations in search of unique secondhand items.
On Saturday, she spent the afternoon thrift drifting across the city, uncovering vintage treasures at each stop.
by Tara Gumrent March 21, 2025
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