GLP-1 drugs are evidence against a very naive model of the brain and human values, where we are straight-forwardly optimizing for positive reinforcement via the mesolimbic pathway. GLP-1 agonists decrease the positive reinforcement associated with food. Patients then benefit from positive reinforcement associated with better health. This sets up a dilemma:
If the patient sees higher total positive reinforcement on the drug then they weren’t optimizing positive reinforcement before taking the drug.
If the patient sees lower total positive reinforcement on the drug then they aren’t optimizing positive reinforcement by taking the drug.
A very naive model would predict that patients prescribed these drugs would forget to take them, forget to show up for appointments, etc. That doesn’t happen.
Alas, I don’t think this helps us distinguish among more sophisticated theories. For example, Shard Theory predicts that a patient’s “donut shard” is not activated in the health clinic, and therefore does not bid against the plan to take the GLP-1 drug on the grounds that it will predictably lead to less donut consumption.
Shard Theory implies that fewer patients will choose to go onto GLP-1 agonists if there is a box of donuts in the clinic. Good luck getting an ethics board to approve that.
GLP-1 drugs are evidence against a very naive model of the brain and human values, where we are straight-forwardly optimizing for positive reinforcement via the mesolimbic pathway. GLP-1 agonists decrease the positive reinforcement associated with food. Patients then benefit from positive reinforcement associated with better health. This sets up a dilemma:
If the patient sees higher total positive reinforcement on the drug then they weren’t optimizing positive reinforcement before taking the drug.
If the patient sees lower total positive reinforcement on the drug then they aren’t optimizing positive reinforcement by taking the drug.
A very naive model would predict that patients prescribed these drugs would forget to take them, forget to show up for appointments, etc. That doesn’t happen.
Alas, I don’t think this helps us distinguish among more sophisticated theories. For example, Shard Theory predicts that a patient’s “donut shard” is not activated in the health clinic, and therefore does not bid against the plan to take the GLP-1 drug on the grounds that it will predictably lead to less donut consumption.
Shard Theory implies that fewer patients will choose to go onto GLP-1 agonists if there is a box of donuts in the clinic. Good luck getting an ethics board to approve that.