Utility calculations are generally used to find the best course of action, i.e. the action with the highest expected utility. If every possible outcome has a utility set to 1, a utility maximizer will choose at random because all actions have equal expected utility. I think you’re proposing maximizing the total utility of all possible future actions, but I’m pretty sure that’s incompatible with reasoning probabilistically about utility (at least in the Bayesian sense). 0 and 1 are forbidden probabilities and your distribution has to sum to 1, so you don’t ever actually eliminate outcomes from consideration. It’s just a question of concentrating probabilities in the areas with highest utility.
Does that make any sense at all?
(Ciphergoth’s answer to your question is approximately a more concise version of this comment.)
Utility calculations are generally used to find the best course of action, i.e. the action with the highest expected utility. If every possible outcome has a utility set to 1, a utility maximizer will choose at random because all actions have equal expected utility. I think you’re proposing maximizing the total utility of all possible future actions, but I’m pretty sure that’s incompatible with reasoning probabilistically about utility (at least in the Bayesian sense). 0 and 1 are forbidden probabilities and your distribution has to sum to 1, so you don’t ever actually eliminate outcomes from consideration. It’s just a question of concentrating probabilities in the areas with highest utility.
Does that make any sense at all?
(Ciphergoth’s answer to your question is approximately a more concise version of this comment.)
You’re right both in my intended meaning and why it doesn’t make sense—thanks.