9.4 AI-enabled multilateral optimization broker

Motivation

Focus: Category of systems where participants have hidden possibly conditional preferences. Disclosure of such preferences may be disadvantageous. But non-disclosure can also be disadvantageous.

Question: How to achieve the highest collective utility when preferences are private?

Sketch

Let’s take members of Friends cast:

• Chandler
• Monica
• Ross
• Rachel
• Joey
• Phoebe

Each has private preferences over their romantic partner or absence thereof. They decided that they want to maximize collective happiness by matching partners optimally. However, they do not want to disclose their preferences directly.

They decide to use an AI-enabled multilateral optimization broker to help them find the best matching without disclosing their preferences.

They ask the AI broker to facilitate the process.

Broker requires input:

• System level: Rules:

  • What is the objective? (e.g., maximize collective happiness based on individual preferences)
  • What are the rules of engagement? including, but not limited to:
    • What cannot be recommended? (e.g., Monica+Ross)
    • Conditions on recommendation disclosure (e.g., if less than 3 matches found, disclose no results and delete all memory)

• Member level (confidential):

  • Round 1: Each member submits their preferences privately to the broker.

    • E.g., Rachel might say:
      • I prefer Ross over Joey
      • I prefer no match over Chandler
    • Joey might say:
      • I prefer no match over Ross
      • I prefer Rachel over Monica
      • But if there’s only one match possible within the group, I’m ok not being matched
      • But if there are 2 matches already, I don’t want to be left unmatched
    • Monica:
      • I prefer Chandler over no match
      • But if I have to chose between me being match and Ross not being matched with Rachel, I prefer no match for myself
    • Phoebe:
      • I prefer no match over anyone
      • But if everyone else is matched, I prefer to be matched with Joey
    • Ross:
      • But if Rachel is not matched with me, I prefer to be unmatched myself
    • Chandler:
      • I prefer Monica over no match
      • But if Monica is unmatched and Joey are both unmatched, I prefer being unmatched too.

  • Round 2: Broker poses exactly 2 options to each member. Each member must pick one.

    • after selection, if the composite outcome meets requirements set in the Rules, the Broker announces the matching.
    • otherwise, the Broker repeats Round 2 for up to n iterations as set in the Rules
    • if no acceptable matching is found, the Broker announces failure to match and deletes all memory of the process.