# Utility Function

> Source: https://sukruyusufkaya.com/en/glossary/fayda-fonksiyonu
> Updated: 2026-05-13T21:08:51.051Z
> Type: glossary
> Category: yapay-zeka-temelleri
**TLDR:** A function that quantitatively expresses how desirable different outcomes or decisions are.

<p>A utility function is an important concept for understanding why a system chooses one option over another. Put simply, it expresses numerically how valuable, desirable, or preferable an outcome is. Decision theory, agent design, and optimization problems can all be built on this logic. Without a utility function, decision-making often becomes directionless, because the system has not clearly defined what it is trying to maximize or preserve. For that reason, utility is a quiet but foundational structure for rational AI systems.</p>