The Mechanics of Agency: Maximal Theoretical Agent

Understanding the Extremes of the Agency Spectrum

Exploring the Maximum Theoretical Agent (MTA)

Introduction

In previous posts, we established the concept of the Minimum Viable Agent (MVA)—an agent capable of basic predictive decisions within the Quantum Branching Universe (QBU). Here, we explore the opposite extreme on this spectrum: the Maximum Theoretical Agent (MTA).

The Agency Spectrum: From MVA to MTA

Agency spans a continuum from minimal to maximal capability:

• Minimum Viable Agent (MVA):

  • Limited predictive capabilities.

  • Restricted local influence on quantum branches.

• Maximum Theoretical Agent (MTA):

  • Comprehensive predictive capabilities, fully aware of all potential quantum timelines.

  • Complete ability to influence and control branching outcomes within the QBU.

Solomonoff Induction and the AIXI Ideal

Theoretical foundations for maximal agency include:

• Solomonoff Induction: A theoretical ideal predicting future events based on algorithmic simplicity, assigning probabilities to outcomes accordingly.[1]

• AIXI Agent: Introduced by Marcus Hutter, the AIXI agent uses Solomonoff induction combined with reinforcement learning to make optimal decisions based on maximum expected utility.[2]

The AIXI Demon Thought Experiment

Imagine a hypothetical being—the AIXI Demon. Like Laplace's Demon, it is an idealized intelligence of unfathomable computational power, but instead of classical determinism, it inhabits the Quantum Branching Universe with maximal knowledge of quantum branching patterns.

Setting the Scene

You find yourself in a garden—the Quantum Garden—symbolizing your future choices. Each path branching from where you stand represents different timelines generated by your potential decisions. Ordinary agents navigate by guessing or roughly predicting paths, but the AIXI Demon sees with unmatched clarity. Every possible path stretching infinitely forward is explicitly labeled with precise probabilities derived through Solomonoff induction.

What Does the AIXI Demon See?

• Counterfactual Clarity:
  Every decision appears as a node branching into quantum timelines. The demon simultaneously perceives all possible branches, each distinctly weighted by probabilities.

• Perfect Prediction:
  With maximal computational resources, the demon perfectly anticipates how branches diverge and converge, including quantum interference and entanglement.

• Action Selection:
  Given a goal (maximizing desirable outcomes), the demon selects actions that optimize future probabilities, deliberately steering timelines toward optimal outcomes.

Illustrative Scenario

Suppose you face a decision: "Should I take a job offer abroad or remain home?"

• Human Perspective: Limited information, intuition, biases, and simplified predictions.

• MVA Perspective: Rudimentary predictive models focusing on immediate outcomes.

• AIXI Demon Perspective:
  The demon clearly visualizes all timelines:

  • Timelines going abroad clearly labeled by fulfillment, relationships, career success, personal happiness.

  • Timelines staying home similarly labeled by overall satisfaction, health, and wealth.

The demon instantly determines which choice maximizes overall desired outcomes across accessible futures.

Implications and Interpretations

• Agency Spectrum: Clarifies the spectrum from MVA (limited agency) to MTA (maximal agency).

• Computational Limits: Perfect agency (MTA) is unattainable practically; realistic agents must approximate and balance predictive optimality.

• Ethical Dimension: Raises profound ethical questions about responsibility, determinism, and morality at the upper limits of agency.

• AI Alignment Insight: Clarifies alignment questions for powerful predictive systems, highlighting potential existential risks or unprecedented benefits.

Conclusion of the Thought Experiment

Returning from your conversation with the AIXI Demon, you appreciate the limits of your own agency—bound by uncertainty, computation, and predictive complexity. Yet, glimpsing maximal agency (MTA) enhances your understanding of real-world ethical deliberations and agency within the Quantum Branching Universe.

Conclusion

Exploring the Maximum Theoretical Agent (MTA) expands our understanding of what constitutes agency in a quantum context. Recognizing this theoretical limit sharpens our appreciation for real-world agency constraints and sets the stage for deeper ethical discussions within the QBU framework.

References

[1] Solomonoff, Ray. "A Formal Theory of Inductive Inference." Information and Control, 1964.

[2] Hutter, Marcus. "Universal Artificial Intelligence: Sequential Decisions Based on Algorithmic Probability." Springer, 2005.