Announcing: new terminology to think about intelligent agents and an invitation to our Phi/AI retreat for people wanting to engage the AI transformation on a deeper level. My latest piece is the first of two or three part series, getting into the technical details how both LLMs and brains depend on randomness, and how that might help us understand how agency and causation work in our reality. I'm introducing the concepts of predictor and picker – high-level architectural features that intelligent agents seem to converge on – and especially for people thinking conceptually about agentic AI this might be an interesting novel viewpoint. (I'm being mysterious on purpose, as the aim of our collective is to get you to stop scrolling and read/listen to the whole piece, training yourself with some more nutritious brain food instead of the never-ending all-you-can-eat stream of fastfood.) Take it as a small teaser of the deep takes we explore with fellow authors in Phi/AI, and what you now have the opportunity to be part of by joining us on our retreat, at a beautiful Chateau Hostačov in Czechia – hosted on 13-15th November as part of the autumn season of events there. Secure your spot early if you want to come, this will be a cozy, in-depth event with limited spaces. More details in the links below.