Thoughts about Understanding
New framework breaks down understanding into causal models, predicting effects from causes with speed and accuracy.
Deep Dive
Azergante's essay 'Thoughts About Understanding' proposes understanding as instantiating causal mental models to predict effects from causes and infer causes from effects. The depth of understanding depends on prediction speed/accuracy and the number of state changes one can propagate. The piece outlines a practical algorithm for moving from non-understanding to understanding complex systems, starting with recognizing known components and their interactions.
Why It Matters
Provides a concrete framework for building AI agents with deeper, more intuitive reasoning and world-models.