>The "Moloch problem" or "Moloch trap" describes a game-theoretic scenario where individual agents, pursuing rational self-interest or short-term success, engage in competition that leads to collectively disastrous outcomes . It represents a coordination failure where the system forces participants to sacrifice long-term sustainability or ethical values for immediate survival, creating a "race to the bottom"

https://www.slatestarcodexabridged.com/Meditations-On-Moloch