One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Three if by Four Seas, and More to Come -- Values of Perception, Prediction, Communication, and Common Sense in Decision Making
arXiv:2601.06077v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: This work aims to rigorously define the values of perception, prediction, communication, and common sense in decision making. The defined quantities are decision-theoretic, but have information-theoretic analogues, e.g., they share some simple but key mathematical properties with Shannon entropy and mutual information, and can reduce to these quantities in particular settings. One interesting observation is that, the value of perception without prediction can be negative, while the value of perception together with prediction and the va
This publication from 2026 suggests advanced theoretical work is ongoing to formally define the value of key AI components, indicating a push towards more robust and measurable AI systems.
A rigorous, decision-theoretic framework for perception, prediction, communication, and common sense could underpin the next generation of AI capabilities, particularly for autonomous agents.
The development of quantifiable value metrics for AI components would shift AI development from heuristic approaches to more principled, verifiable engineering, enabling more reliable and effective AI decisions.
- · AI researchers
- · AI agent developers
- · Robotics companies
- · High-stakes decision-making industries
- · AI systems lacking interpretability
- · Heuristic-based AI development methodologies
Formal value definitions will enable better design and evaluation of AI systems.
This foundational work could lead to more trustworthy and explainable autonomous AI agents.
Improved AI decision-making could accelerate the adoption of AI in critical infrastructure and complex operational environments.
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Read at arXiv cs.LG