Sorry this took so long, but in order to make sense of Artificial Intelligence, I realized I had to do a deep dive to understand IRL Intelligence first. That's not easy, as you'll see in the next few posts, but it's vital to really understand AI and how to invest in it.
First, In-Real-Life Intelligence is a complex concept that includes an ability to remember things, to learn from experience, to adapt past knowledge to new situations, to understand and handle abstract concepts, and to use knowledge to manipulate the environment. This requires the complex interaction of several cognitive processes, including memory, perception, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. We really don't yet completely understand how the brain functions. For every synapse, process, and part of the brain we understand, there seems to be two we don't.
Second, people don't even agree on what “intelligence” is. There are subcategories like “social intelligence” and “emotional intelligence,” with significant disagreement over whether these are part of IRL Intelligence or something distinct. Some researchers posit that not only is “heart intelligence” a thing, but it can change the way you think and innovate.
And then there's “gut intelligence.” Johns Hopkins says: “If you’ve ever 'gone with your gut' to make a decision or felt 'butterflies in your stomach' when nervous, you’re likely getting signals from an unexpected source: your second brain. Hidden in the walls of the digestive system, this 'brain in your gut' is revolutionizing medicine’s understanding of the links between digestion, mood, health and even the way you think. Scientists call this little brain the enteric nervous system (ENS). And it’s not so little. The ENS is two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract from esophagus to rectum.”
The consensus among psychologists seems to be that “intelligence” is the key to adapting to the environment in different contexts, such as academic learning, problem-solving and creative endeavors. While that says something about what intelligence might be useful for, it says nothing about wjat intelligence is.
Well, at least we can measure intelligence, right? Not so fast. There's a very big debate over the validity of traditional IQ tests and what they really measure. Some think it’s a fixed trait from birth; others argue it can be developed through effort and the right mindset. Clearly, it is influenced by several genetic and environmental factors I'll cover in the next post. Meanwhile, ask yourself this:
If we don't understand IRL Intelligence, how can we develop Artificial Intelligence?