cs.AIApr 21, 2026

Deconstructing Superintelligence: Identity, Self-Modification and Différance

Authors: Elija Perrier

Organizations: Centre for Quantum Software & Information, UTS, Sydney

Abstract

Self-modification is routinely treated as constitutive of artificial superintelligence (\textbf{SI}), yet modification is a relative action requiring a \emph{supplement} outside the operation. We formalise this on an associative operator algebra A\mathcal{A} with update operator U^\hat U, difference operator D^\hat D, and self-representation operator R^\hat R, identifying the supplement with Comm(U^)\operatorname{Comm}(\hat U). A propagation theorem shows [U^,R^][\hat U,\hat R] decomposes through [U^,D^][\hat U,\hat D], so non-commutation propagates to self-representation. The liar paradox is the rank-one case [T^,ΠL]=0[\hat T,Π_L]=0, and \emph{class A\mathbf{A}} systems, in which U^\hat U acts on D^\hat D, reproduce it at system scale, yielding a structure coinciding with Priest's inclosure schema and Derrida's \emph{différance}. Our results show that the strong self-modification taken to define superintelligence may undermine the persistent identity upon which such systems are premised.

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