For all the talk about AI alignment, I worry we're putting the cart before the horse. You can't steer something you can't control. People often talk about containment and alignment in the same breath, but they're not interchangeable or a package deal. Containment is whether we can set boundaries, enforce them, and limit its agency. Alignment is about ensuring it shares our values, that it serves humans' best interests. Containment has to come first - or alignment is the equivalent of asking nicely.