Re: Phil Goetz: There are not 16 people /currently/ in the room—since Brennan counted them. Brennan is not told in the scenario that he is in the room.
He is not told other things that might impact on the answer, such as whether there were any non-human AIs in the room who were members of the Heresy of Virtue.
“I need more information” might have been an acceptable answer—at least on the latter grounds.
“One-tenth” requires the assumption that Brennan is in the Heresy of Virtue (which is something he ought to know), the assumption that Brennan is in the room in question, and the further assumption that there are exactly 16 people there—quite a few dubious assumptions for an initiation ceremony.
Re: Phil Goetz: There are not 16 people /currently/ in the room—since Brennan counted them. Brennan is not told in the scenario that he is in the room.
He is not told other things that might impact on the answer, such as whether there were any non-human AIs in the room who were members of the Heresy of Virtue.
“I need more information” might have been an acceptable answer—at least on the latter grounds.
“One-tenth” requires the assumption that Brennan is in the Heresy of Virtue (which is something he ought to know), the assumption that Brennan is in the room in question, and the further assumption that there are exactly 16 people there—quite a few dubious assumptions for an initiation ceremony.