“Behavior-executor”: acts on reflex, producing a fixed action in response to a fixed stimulus (regardless of how this corresponds to outcomes).
“Utility-maximizer”: chooses actions based on their expected outcomes; makes long-term plans, and completely changes behavior if new information comes in suggesting their old behavior patterns aren’t helping produce the desired outcomes.
I think Zvi is drawing on this informal distinction in The Blue-Minimizing Robot:
“Behavior-executor”: acts on reflex, producing a fixed action in response to a fixed stimulus (regardless of how this corresponds to outcomes).
“Utility-maximizer”: chooses actions based on their expected outcomes; makes long-term plans, and completely changes behavior if new information comes in suggesting their old behavior patterns aren’t helping produce the desired outcomes.
I was also imagining the distinctions of
adaptation-executers vs. fitness-maximizers
and
selection + unconscious reinforcement vs. conscious strategizing
which are similar.
Thanks, this (and the sister comment by Unnamed) makes perfect sense.