Glossary entry

Capability overhang

Definition

When a system’s power exceeds the maturity of its controls, making failures likely even without malicious intent. Capability overhang shows up as strong automation but weak stoppability or reversibility.

Diagnostic

Hypothetical example

  • A model can auto-approve loans, but rollback and auditing are manual and slow.

Related terms

Automation ratchet Capability discovery Capability catalog The non-conversion principle Asymmetric-capacity restraint

References

Cite this glossary entry · v1.17.1 · updated Oct 6, 2026 · CC BY-SA 4.0

APA

Ethotechnics Institute. (2026). Capability overhang. Ethotechnics glossary. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/capability-overhang

MLA

Ethotechnics Institute. "Capability overhang." Ethotechnics glossary, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/capability-overhang.

Chicago

Ethotechnics Institute. "Capability overhang." Ethotechnics glossary. Oct 6, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/capability-overhang.

BibTeX

@misc{glossary_capability-overhang,
  title={Capability overhang},
  author={Ethotechnics Institute},
  year={2026},
  howpublished={Ethotechnics glossary},
  url={https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/capability-overhang},
  version={v1.17.1}
}

RIS

TY  - WEB
TI  - Capability overhang
AU  - Ethotechnics Institute
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/capability-overhang
ER  -

Authorship

Contact: hello@ethotechnics.org

Publication details

  • Published: Dec 3, 2025
  • Last updated: Oct 6, 2026
  • Version: v1.17.1

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Credit Ethotechnics Institute, include the term title and version, and link to the glossary permalink.

Archive: Wayback Machine history

Latest change

v1.17.1 · Oct 6, 2026 — Editorial revision. Titles are in sentence case. Pasted spec blocks are replaced with prose and worked examples, 79 operational tests are rewritten as pass conditions, 22 origin notes are rewritten or sourced, and unsourced superlatives are cut. No terms were added or removed, and permalinks are unchanged.

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