A single wrong answer from a language model is rarely dramatic on its own. The problem starts when the same kind of error repeats across thousands of situations, or when users and organisations build processes on the assumption that the model understands more than it actually does.
From isolated incident to systemic failure
Scale changes the nature of the risk. As systems take on more tasks and more users, the need for monitoring, containment and clear accountability grows with it.
What this points toward
Safety isn't just about reducing the number of errors — it's about making sure those errors aren't hidden, normalised, or trusted more than they should be.