AI Is Changing What Intelligence Means: Here’s How To Become Valuable

🌈 Abstract

The article explores the evolving nature of intelligence and how our understanding of it has transformed over time. It discusses how different historical eras have valued different aspects of intelligence, from reasoning and logic in ancient Greece to faith and morality in medieval times, and how the concept of intelligence has expanded to include various cognitive abilities. The article also examines the impact of AI and machine learning on the perception and value of human intelligence, and suggests that humans should adapt by offering rarer and more useful forms of brain output.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Evolving Nature of Intelligence

1. What are the key points about how the understanding of intelligence has changed over time?

• In ancient Greece, intelligence was associated with reasoning, logic, and the quest for knowledge.
• In medieval times, intelligence was linked to faith and understanding of the divine.
• During the Renaissance, intelligence was seen as a canvas of artistic creativity and innovative thinking.
• In the Age of Enlightenment, intelligence was measured by critical, scientific thinking.
• In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, intelligence was narrowly defined by cognitive abilities and IQ scores.
• More recently, intelligence is seen as a malleable ability to navigate and adapt in the ever-changing digital world.

2. How does the article explain the concept of "intelligence inflation" over time?

• The article states that an average person today with an IQ of 100 would have had an IQ of 130 in 1920, due to the Flynn Effect - the IQ inflation of roughly 3 points per decade as schools and people have adapted to what the tests consider important.

3. Why are very high levels of IQ lower today than in past decades, according to the article?

• The article suggests that the smartest people are "dumber" and the average person is "smarter" today, but does not provide a detailed explanation for this phenomenon, stating that it is a topic for another article.

[02] The Impact of AI and Machine Learning on Human Intelligence

1. How does the article describe the relationship between the commoditization of intelligence and the need for human adaptation?

• As activities become more widespread and AI/ML can solve or automate them, their strategic value diminishes. To create more value, humans must adapt by offering rarer and more useful forms of brain output.

2. What are the key differences between the capabilities of AI/ML and human intelligence, according to the article?

• AI/ML is good at quantifiable, left-brain activities like image recognition, but struggles with right-brain skills like intuition, judgment, creativity, and understanding context and meaning.
• Humans excel at these right-brain skills that cannot be easily defined or willed, while AI/ML relies on statistical models and word arrangements.

3. How does the article suggest humans should adapt to the rise of AI/ML?

• The article suggests that humans should focus on developing their right-brain skills, such as creativity, intuition, and understanding of context and meaning, as these are areas where AI/ML currently struggles.
• It also suggests that humans can use AI/ML as a tool to augment and facilitate their natural forms of intelligence, rather than viewing it as a foe.