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arXiv · 2507.05587

Towards Measurement Theory for Artificial Intelligence

Elija Perrier
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Abstract

We motivate and outline a programme for a formal theory of measurement of artificial intelligence. We argue that formalising measurement for AI will allow researchers, practitioners, and regulators to: (i) make comparisons between systems and the evaluation methods applied to them; (ii) connect frontier AI evaluations with established quantitative risk analysis techniques drawn from engineering and safety science; and (iii) foreground how what counts as AI capability is contingent upon the measurement operations and scales we elect to use. We sketch a layered measurement stack, distinguish direct from indirect observables, and signpost how these ingredients provide a pathway toward a unified, calibratable taxonomy of AI phenomena.

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Elija Perrier. 2025-07-08. Towards Measurement Theory for Artificial Intelligence. https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.05587

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