Not All Errors Matter: Decision-Relevant Prediction Error Predicts Planning Quality
World models are typically trained and evaluated by prediction error, assuming that more accurate predictions lead to better decisions. We show that this assumption can fail because models with similar total error can differ substantially in planning performance when their errors occur on different state dimensions. We introduce Decision-Relevant Prediction Error (DRPE), which measures prediction error on the state dimensions that affect decisions. We also develop an iso-error evaluation protocol that varies error allocation while keeping total error fixed. In a factored gridworld with known state relevance and a standardized planner, we evaluate 55 controlled and learned models across di...
| Authors | Linhao Wang, Yiyan Fan, Dongjin Huang |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.LG |
| Published | 26 September 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 30 September 2026 |
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