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AlexMennen comments on Expected utility, unlosing agents, and Pascal's mugging - Less Wrong Discussion

19 Post author: Stuart_Armstrong 28 July 2014 06:05PM

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Comment author: AlexMennen 01 August 2014 05:57:38PM 0 points [-]

If there is more than one utility function that it could end up maximizing, then it is not an expected utility maximizer, because any particular utility function is better maximized by maximizing it directly than by possibly maximizing some other utility function depending on certain circumstances. As an example, suppose you could end up using one of two utility functions: u and v, there are three possible outcomes: X, Y, and Z, and u(X)>u(Y) while v(X)<v(Y). Consider two possible circumstances: 1) You get to choose between X and Y. 2) You get to choose between the lotteries .5X+.5Z and .5Y+.5Z.

If you would end up using u if (1) happens but end up using v if (2) happens, then you violate the independence axiom.

Comment author: Stuart_Armstrong 02 August 2014 08:02:39AM 1 point [-]

Here's a better proof of the existence of unlosing agents: http://lesswrong.com/r/discussion/lw/knv/model_of_unlosing_agents/

Comment author: Stuart_Armstrong 02 August 2014 07:23:01AM 1 point [-]

Relate this to value loading. If the programmer says cake, you value cake; if they say death, you value death. You could see this as choosing between two utilities, or you could see it as having a single utility function where "what the programmer says" strongly distinguishes between otherwise identical universes.