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  3. So I often come back to the question of defining what we mean by "intelligence."

So I often come back to the question of defining what we mean by "intelligence."

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  • threesigma@mastodon.onlineT This user is from outside of this forum
    threesigma@mastodon.onlineT This user is from outside of this forum
    threesigma@mastodon.online
    wrote last edited by
    #27

    @FediThing @futurebird

    Do they make interesting decisions? Arguably not: given any choice they will reliably do the thing that maximizes their power and wealth. I doubt any take risks for ethics or well-being of others.

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    • futurebird@sauropods.winF futurebird@sauropods.win

      @mahryekuh

      I think that's part of it. Although what keeps me up at night is thinking about the ease with which ants will abandon a bad but popular path for a shorter more effective one.

      You will never have an ant who is saying "but this is the way my older sister went, you insult her memory by not using her path, she suffered so much" or "that ant who found the new shorter path thinks she's better than me, lets get rid of her and the path this is so embarrassing."

      I hope.

      llewelly@sauropods.winL This user is from outside of this forum
      llewelly@sauropods.winL This user is from outside of this forum
      llewelly@sauropods.win
      wrote last edited by
      #28

      @futurebird @mahryekuh avoiding bad attractors like cars, amazon (the online purchasing scam), cryptocurrency, and covid-19 has made me terribly unpopular. More importantly, it has cost me jobs, which has led to homelessness. And don't even get me started on how medical insurers and education systems pummel people who avoid bad attractors like cars with hatred and abuse. Nothing is more unamerican than avoiding bad attractors.

      zdl@mstdn.socialZ 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • futurebird@sauropods.winF futurebird@sauropods.win

        So I often come back to the question of defining what we mean by "intelligence." It's pretty easy to get disgusted say it's not even worth trying to define because it is a word used in such inconsistent ways.

        Intelligence is a positive attribute that describes the decision making capacity and effectiveness.

        * Is a scientific calculator intelligent?
        * Is a billionaire intelligent?
        * Is the largest blue whale the most intelligent animal alive because it has the most brain mass?

        gclef@social.vivaldi.netG This user is from outside of this forum
        gclef@social.vivaldi.netG This user is from outside of this forum
        gclef@social.vivaldi.net
        wrote last edited by
        #29

        @futurebird

        Intelligence is asking questions.

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        • futurebird@sauropods.winF futurebird@sauropods.win

          So I often come back to the question of defining what we mean by "intelligence." It's pretty easy to get disgusted say it's not even worth trying to define because it is a word used in such inconsistent ways.

          Intelligence is a positive attribute that describes the decision making capacity and effectiveness.

          * Is a scientific calculator intelligent?
          * Is a billionaire intelligent?
          * Is the largest blue whale the most intelligent animal alive because it has the most brain mass?

          dalias@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
          dalias@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
          dalias@hachyderm.io
          wrote last edited by
          #30

          @futurebird 1. No.
          2. No.
          3. Intelligence isn't an axis of measurement, it's a qualitative property. So no.

          dalias@hachyderm.ioD 1 Reply Last reply
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          • dalias@hachyderm.ioD dalias@hachyderm.io

            @futurebird 1. No.
            2. No.
            3. Intelligence isn't an axis of measurement, it's a qualitative property. So no.

            dalias@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
            dalias@hachyderm.ioD This user is from outside of this forum
            dalias@hachyderm.io
            wrote last edited by
            #31

            @futurebird Re: 1 & 2, a big part of intelligence is the ability to use reasoning processes to manage consequences. Neither a calculator nor a billionaire experiences consequences so neither can have intelligence.

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            • dahukanna@mastodon.socialD dahukanna@mastodon.social

              @futurebird
              “intelligent” is an adjective categorizing/qualifying a noun & has meaning in an applied context: having or showing high level of intelligence.
              “Intelligence” is a noun, describing a specific ability to acquire knowledge & skills.
              So “intelligent intelligence” implies there is also “unintelligent intelligence” therefore the noun is spectral in nature like light- 😀😆😉😬.

              In general conversation it seems “Intelligence” is being conflated with “genius” I.e. exceptional intelligence.

              dahukanna@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
              dahukanna@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
              dahukanna@mastodon.social
              wrote last edited by
              #32

              @futurebird case in point- “unintelligent intelligence” == fiction

              - https://mstdn.social/@david_colquhoun/116064390958883997

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              • futurebird@sauropods.winF futurebird@sauropods.win

                That one ant going the "wrong way" isn't less intelligent than the rest. She's an essential part of the system.

                Because sometimes that ant finds a shortcut. If she finds a shortcut her pheromone path, the passive evidence of her motion, the freshness of the leaf bit she delivers will attract more ants to her path. Quickly, without discussion or resentment, (cough cough) all of the ants switch to the new shorter path.

                The 'wrong way ants' prevent the ants from being trapped in bad attractors.

                pizzademon@mastodon.onlineP This user is from outside of this forum
                pizzademon@mastodon.onlineP This user is from outside of this forum
                pizzademon@mastodon.online
                wrote last edited by
                #33

                @futurebird https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/536961-the-reasonable-man-adapts-himself-to-the-world-the-unreasonable

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                • futurebird@sauropods.winF futurebird@sauropods.win

                  That one ant going the "wrong way" isn't less intelligent than the rest. She's an essential part of the system.

                  Because sometimes that ant finds a shortcut. If she finds a shortcut her pheromone path, the passive evidence of her motion, the freshness of the leaf bit she delivers will attract more ants to her path. Quickly, without discussion or resentment, (cough cough) all of the ants switch to the new shorter path.

                  The 'wrong way ants' prevent the ants from being trapped in bad attractors.

                  tartley@fosstodon.orgT This user is from outside of this forum
                  tartley@fosstodon.orgT This user is from outside of this forum
                  tartley@fosstodon.org
                  wrote last edited by
                  #34

                  @futurebird I have always assumed this must be my role in society. 😁

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                  • futurebird@sauropods.winF futurebird@sauropods.win

                    So I often come back to the question of defining what we mean by "intelligence." It's pretty easy to get disgusted say it's not even worth trying to define because it is a word used in such inconsistent ways.

                    Intelligence is a positive attribute that describes the decision making capacity and effectiveness.

                    * Is a scientific calculator intelligent?
                    * Is a billionaire intelligent?
                    * Is the largest blue whale the most intelligent animal alive because it has the most brain mass?

                    datenwolf@chaos.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
                    datenwolf@chaos.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
                    datenwolf@chaos.social
                    wrote last edited by
                    #35

                    @futurebird

                    For a very long time ( > 15 years) I'm holding the definition of intelligent being

                    The capability for directed & deliberated action toward the goal of overcoming hitherto unknown and untrained for situations/problems with near-optimal effort.

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                    • nigel_lake@mastodon.worldN nigel_lake@mastodon.world

                      @futurebird For me, the line is between clever - someone who knows a lot of things, whether through exceptional memory or a great deal of study - and intelligent - someone who can understand new problems and solve them. Clever is fine for some tasks and hopeless for others. Intelligence is much more flexible - and can seek out the relevant knowledge they don't have.

                      As for the technology equivalent, LLMs are a version of clever, generally minus the awareness of whether they are right or wrong!

                      khleedril@cyberplace.socialK This user is from outside of this forum
                      khleedril@cyberplace.socialK This user is from outside of this forum
                      khleedril@cyberplace.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #36

                      @Nigel_Lake @futurebird I think you got them the wrong way around. Intelligent means you know lots of stuff (intelligence!), clever means you can work things out.

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                      • llewelly@sauropods.winL llewelly@sauropods.win

                        @futurebird @mahryekuh avoiding bad attractors like cars, amazon (the online purchasing scam), cryptocurrency, and covid-19 has made me terribly unpopular. More importantly, it has cost me jobs, which has led to homelessness. And don't even get me started on how medical insurers and education systems pummel people who avoid bad attractors like cars with hatred and abuse. Nothing is more unamerican than avoiding bad attractors.

                        zdl@mstdn.socialZ This user is from outside of this forum
                        zdl@mstdn.socialZ This user is from outside of this forum
                        zdl@mstdn.social
                        wrote last edited by
                        #37

                        @llewelly @futurebird @mahryekuh I'm curious why you think online purchasing is a scam?

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