The cobra effect: what metrics teach us about managing AI agents

Greg Isenberg shared a short animated video on the 'cobra effect': reward one number and people hit it in ways that make the real problem worse, with examples from Wells Fargo, Airbnb and HubSpot. His post applies it to AI agents, though the video itself never mentions AI. Applying it to agents means pairing every success metric with a counter-metric and judging agents on checked outcomes.

Why it mattersIf you measure an agent only on tickets closed or emails sent, expect exactly that. Add a second number that catches the shortcut.

Curated by Sara Simeone as part of our human editorial coverage. The original sources are linked below; curation is distinct from a Hype or Fact? assessment.

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