Re: The Idea of Human-Level Intelligence
Recently, I had an engaging conversation with my co-founder about the meaning of "human-level intelligence." The discussion didn’t yield a definitive answer—this isn’t that kind of topic—but it did help clarify my thoughts. What follows is a sort of memo or a reflection on the idea.
What Is Intelligence?
To begin, we need to ask: what is intelligence? The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as "the ability to learn, understand, and make judgments or have opinions that are based on reason." Merriam-Webster defines it as "the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations." At its core, intelligence seems to involve adaptability—making changes based on the current situation.
To break it down further, certain abilities seem fundamental to intelligence:
- The drive to improve one’s situation
- Sensing the world: Intelligence requires gathering key information from the environment.
- Logical thinking: Like a program following rules, intelligence involves decision-making based on reason.
- Learning and memory: Intelligence is cumulative—it expands by storing knowledge and improving over time.
- Interaction with the world: To act on its knowledge, intelligence must engage with the environment.
These ideas align with my perspective as a human being. I believe: 1. creativity and originality; 2. memory and knowledge preservation; 3. turn ideas into innovations are crucial capabilities for so-called human-level intelligence, as I wrote in a previous blog post. Humans possess a remarkable capability to generate original thoughts, preserve knowledge over generations, and translate abstract ideas into transformative tools or systems.
But is this framework "universal"? My co-founder brought up some thought-provoking counterpoints that expanded my understanding.
Intelligence is Diverse
Our conversation highlighted that intelligence is not one-size-fits-all. It takes many forms, and not all of them fit neatly into a human framework.
Collective Intelligence in Ant Societies
First example is the intelligence displayed by social insects like leafcutter ants. These ants exhibit "swarm intelligence," working collectively to solve problems and sustain their colonies. Leafcutter ants cut leaves to cultivate fungus, their primary food source. This process involves complex coordination, communication, and problem-solving at a group level. It’s undeniably a form of intelligence, but it’s not tied to an individual mind. Instead, it emerges from the collective.
Another Way for Knowledge Preservation
Humans often pride themselves on their ability to preserve and pass down knowledge through language, but we aren’t the only species capable of this. Other animals have unique methods of transmitting information. For example, some primates and dolphins use vocalizations—songs or calls—to communicate and pass down learned behaviors. While not as efficient or granular as written language, these methods still represent a form of cultural transmission.
Intelligence without Logic
We often assume intelligence requires logical thinking, but what if it doesn’t? My co-founder challenged me with examples from nature. Take certain sponges or slime molds, for instance. These organisms lack centralized brains or logical reasoning, yet they display behaviors that match the definition of "intelligent." Slime molds, when large enough, can engulf entire forests or find optimal paths through mazes. This phenomenon is an example of "emergence," where large-scale, complex behavior arises from simple, small-scale interactions.
This kind of intelligence doesn’t rely on reasoning or rules—it emerges from scale and interaction. If intelligence can exist without logic, then our human-centric definition feels incomplete.
A Broader Perspective on Intelligence
These examples led me to reconsider the idea of "human-level intelligence" as a benchmark for all intelligence. Intelligence isn’t a single, universal concept. It manifests differently depending on the context, environment, and goals of the entity exhibiting it. Humans have a specific way of adapting to and improving their circumstances (betterment), but that doesn’t mean our approach is the gold standard.
Final Thoughts
In the end, "human-level intelligence" might not be the best way to evaluate intelligence at all. Intelligence is about finding ways to adapt and improve (betterment), and there are countless methodologies for doing so.
