Executive summary: The term “utility function” can have many different meanings in different contexts, leading to confusion; this post breaks down and names some key distinctions to help clarify discussions around utility functions.
Key points:
Utility functions can be Terminal (describing ultimate values) or Proximal (describing preferences over specific actions/states).
An agent’s Initial terminal utility function may be Modified over time to better optimize the initial function.
Utility functions can be Descriptive (direct estimate), Empirical (estimated from an algorithm), Prescriptive (extrapolated by an observer), or Operational (a specific executable program).
Utility functions may be Precomputed all at once or computed On-Demand as needed.
Utility functions can represent initial intuitions (Deliberation Level 0) or the result of extensive deliberation (Deliberation Levels 1-N).
When utility functions are made Public, expect some information to be hidden or modified for palatability.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, andcontact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: The term “utility function” can have many different meanings in different contexts, leading to confusion; this post breaks down and names some key distinctions to help clarify discussions around utility functions.
Key points:
Utility functions can be Terminal (describing ultimate values) or Proximal (describing preferences over specific actions/states).
An agent’s Initial terminal utility function may be Modified over time to better optimize the initial function.
Utility functions can be Descriptive (direct estimate), Empirical (estimated from an algorithm), Prescriptive (extrapolated by an observer), or Operational (a specific executable program).
Utility functions may be Precomputed all at once or computed On-Demand as needed.
Utility functions can represent initial intuitions (Deliberation Level 0) or the result of extensive deliberation (Deliberation Levels 1-N).
When utility functions are made Public, expect some information to be hidden or modified for palatability.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.