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Giles comments on [Altruist Support] How to determine your utility function - Less Wrong Discussion

7 Post author: Giles 01 May 2011 06:33AM

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Comment author: Giles 01 May 2011 11:16:16PM 0 points [-]

My utility function corresponds to specific structures in my brain.

Do you mean there's a particular structure in your brain sending out "good" and "bad" messages, and that's what you're trying to optimize? (i.e. that you would choose to wirehead).

Or do you mean in the sense that "utility functions have something to do with expressed and revealed preferences which necessarily correspond to structures in my brain?"

here have been many things in my life that I've thought about and decided weren't that important

Could they be covered under the umbrella of "I value things which I would enjoy if I tried"?

Comment author: atucker 02 May 2011 02:17:26AM *  0 points [-]

Or do you mean in the sense that "utility functions have something to do with expressed and revealed preferences which necessarily correspond to structures in my brain?"

More the latter.

Could they be covered under the umbrella of "I value things which I would enjoy if I tried"?

Yes, but I don't know how to optimize for those things (other than being generally adventurous/curious), since I don't know if I would enjoy them.

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