A utility function is the assessment by which you decide how much an action would further your goals. If you can do that, highly accurately or not, you have a utility function.
If you had no utility function, you might decide you like NYC more than Kansas, and Kansas more than Nigeria, but you prefer Nigeria to NYC. So you get on a plane and fly in circles, hopping on planes every time you get to your destination forever.
Humans definitely have a utility function. We just don’t know what ranks very highly on our utility function. We mostly agree on the low ranking stuff. A utility function is the process by which you rate potential futures that you might be able to bring about and decide you prefer some futures more than others.
With a utility function plus your (limited) predictive ability you rate potential futures as being better, worse, or equal to each other, and act accordingly.
A utility function is the assessment by which you decide how much an action would further your goals. If you can do that, highly accurately or not, you have a utility function.
If you had no utility function, you might decide you like NYC more than Kansas, and Kansas more than Nigeria, but you prefer Nigeria to NYC. So you get on a plane and fly in circles, hopping on planes every time you get to your destination forever.
Humans definitely have a utility function. We just don’t know what ranks very highly on our utility function. We mostly agree on the low ranking stuff. A utility function is the process by which you rate potential futures that you might be able to bring about and decide you prefer some futures more than others.
With a utility function plus your (limited) predictive ability you rate potential futures as being better, worse, or equal to each other, and act accordingly.