Omega

AOmega is a hypothetical super-intelligent being used in philosophical problems. Omega is most commonly used as the predictor in Newcomb's problem. Sometimes Omega is taken as a perfect predictor, while other times it is an almost perfect predictor. In some thought experiments, Omega is also taken to be super-powerful.

Omega can be seen as analogous to Laplace's demon, or as the closest approximation to the Demon capable of existing in our universe. Including a perfect predictor in a problem can lead to subtle issues such particular counterfactuals being undefined. See the article on Perfect Predictors for discussion of the technicalities.technicalities and discussions about the validity of perfect predictors.

A hypothetical super-intelligent being used in philosophical problems. Omega is most commonly used as the predictor in Newcomb's problem. Sometimes Omega is taken as a perfect predictor,predictor, while other times it is an almost perfect predictor. In some thought experiments, Omega is also taken to be super-powerful.

Technical Details

In the case where Omega is considered Including a perfect predictor, it can become unclear what exactly omega is predicting. Take for example Parfit's Hitchhiker. In this problem, you are trapped dyingpredictor in a desert and a passing driver will only pick you up if you promiseproblem can lead to pay them $100 once you are in town. Ifsubtle issues such particular counterfactuals being undefined. See the driver is a perfect predictor, then someone who always defects will never end up in town, so it is unclear what exactly they are predicting, since the situation is contradictory and thearticle on Principle of Explosion means that you can prove anything.

Counterfactuals for Perfect Predictors suggests that even if we can't predict what an agent would do in an inconsistent or conditionally consistent situation, we can predict how it would respond if given input representing an inconsistent situation (we can represent this response as an output). And indeed Updateless Decision Theory uses input-output maps so it doesn't run into this issue.

It may be questioned whether perfect predictors are possible. In that case, we could imagine that these problems deal with computational agents where Omega has access to your source code andfor discussion of the scenario input that you will receive. This won't be perfect in the sense that there's nothing stopping a machine error or a hacker messing this up, but it will be perfect enough for this to be a good abstraction.technicalities.

It may be questioned whether perfect predictors are possible. In that case, we could imagine that these problems deal with computational agents where Omega has access to your source code and the scenario input that you will receive. This won't be perfect in the sense that there's nothing stopping a machine error or a hacker messing this up, but it will be perfect enough for this to be a good abstraction.

Counterfactuals for Perfect Predictors suggests that even if we can't predict what an agent would do in an inconsistent or conditionally consistent situation, we can predict how it would respond if given input representing an inconsistent situation (we can represent this response as an output). And indeed Updateless Decision Theory uses input-output maps so it doesn't run into this issue.

Technical Details

In the case where Omega is considered a perfect predictor, it can become unclear what exactly omega is predicting. Take for example Parfit's Hitchhiker. In this problem, you are trapped dying in a desert and a passing driver will only pick you up if you promise to pay them $100 once you are in town. If the driver is a perfect predictor, then someone who always defects will never end up in town, so it is unclear what exactly they are predicting, since the situation is contradictory and the Principle of Explosion means that you can prove anything.

Counterfactuals for Perfect Predictors suggests that even if we can't predict what an agent would do in an inconsistent situation, we can predict how it would respond if given input representing an inconsistent situation (we can represent this response as an output). And indeed Updateless Decision Theory uses input-output maps so it doesn't run into this issue.

A hypothetical super-intelligent being used in philosophical problems. Omega is most commonly used as the predictor in Newcomb's problem. In its roleSometimes Omega is taken as a perfect predictor, Omega's predictions occurwhile other times it is an almost certainly.perfect predictor. In some thought experiments, Omega is also taken to be super-powerful.

Created by bjr at 4y

A hypothetical super-intelligent being that perfectly implements Bayesian rationality.used in philosophical problems. Omega is most commonly used as the predictor in Newcomb's problem. In its role as predictor, Omega's predictions occur almost certainly. In some thought experiments, Omega is also taken to be super-powerful.

A hypothetical super-intelligent being that perfectly implements Bayesian rationality. Omega is most commonly used as the predictor in Newcomb's problem. In its role as predictor, Omega's predictions occur almost certainly. In some thought experiments, Omega is also taken to be super-powerful.

In some thought experiments, Omega is also taken to be super-powerful. (Arguably this or something like it, in addition to superintelligence, is required for it to play its prescribed role in Newcomb's problem.) In these cases, Omega is roughly equivalent to the God of traditional theism except that no particular moral qualities are ascribed to it.

In some thought experiments, Omega is also taken to be super-powerful. (Arguably this or something like it, in addition to superintelligence, is required for it to play its prescribed role in Newcomb's problem.) In these cases, Omega is roughly equivalent to the God of traditional theism except that no particular moral qualities are ascribed to it.

A hypothetical super-intelligent being that perfectly implements Bayesian rationality. Omega is most commonly used as the predictor in Newcomb's paradoxproblem. In its role as predictor, Omega's predictions occur almost certainly.

Omega can be seen as analogous to Laplace's Demondemon, or as the closest approximation to the Demon capable of existing in our universe.

Omega can be seen as analogous to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace's_Demon Laplace's Demon, or as the closest approximation to the Demon capable of existing in our universe.

A hypothetical super-intelligent being that perfectly implements Bayesian rationality. Omega is most commonly used as the predictor in Newcomb's paradox. In its role as predictor, Omega's predictions occur almost certainly.

Omega can be seen as analogous to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace's_Demon Laplace's Demon, or as the closest approximation to the Demon capable of existing in our universe.