A friend recently was discussing how he was creating and patenting an AI based system for figuring out the ideal diet by collecting data on all diets of thousands of individuals and then extracting the ideal diet for someone with a particular lifestyle. No guesswork needed. I wondered, growing up the only option was what my parents gave with the resources they had. They didn’t have AI, would they be better of knowing this information? With the growing prominence of AI, a question arises. What is the purpose of intelligence? What is natural intelligence? This intelligence then may be mimicked to create Artificial Intelligence. Without knowing this, we may be on trajectory towards something quite counter intelligent.
So what is natural intelligence? One definition is
“the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills”,
and this seems to be most accepted. But there are others. Wikipedia mentions one as creating self-awareness. Hmm. Another is to develop informed relationships. The list goes on. There was no succint definition of intelligence, but the general trend was the first definition mentioned above.
The next obvious question then becomes, what is the purpose of this intelligence. Why should we acquire knowledge and apply this. For whom or what and where.
Lets analyze this a bit. I studied Electrical Engineering. I acquired the ability to analyze circuits, and apply them to create various Electronic devices. Thats intelligence from our standard definition. A digital camera was one of my earliest designs. Why did I create the digital camera. This is an interesting question (for me), since it can be answered at different levels. I did it ‘cuz that was my job and I would be fired if I didn’t. I did it so people could get away from film. I did it to prove to the world that I did not get a Masters in EE just by copying assignments from my fellow students. I did it to enhance the overall experience of capturing moments to be recorded forever. I did it to be able to easily spy on others. Or how about this? I did this to earn money so I could buy one of those darn things …. the list goes on. Which one portrays real natural intelligence? And does it matter?
It does, since to re-create artificially the design process is the easy part. To define the purpose is the intelligent part. Isn’t it? An important aspect of intelligence, from where I stand, is that it allows making decisions that contribute directly to my happiness and for those around me. Intelligence allows me to choose what motivates me and it allows me to analyze my motivation so that it can be directed to make the world a happy place.
That leads us to the next question. Who? Who am I? Who or what is this world around me and what is in the world is happiness? Who is the “me” that the intelligence is working for? This is when the head starts hurting. Self-awareness as our revered Wikipedia mentions. It is in the happiness and contentment of the “me” where the key to defining the purpose of intelligence lies.
The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence – The Gita 3.42
This intelligence directly communicates deeply with me, and then directs my activities. If I am not sure about who I am, what makes me happy, OR the intelligence communication mediums are corrupted, OR the intelligence itself is corrupted and not listening to me (don’t drink and drive!), then we get into troubled waters. Without paying attention to this, we might as well expect terrorist robots very soon. Yikes!
In the discussions in the few meditation groups I coordinate and participate, often times the question of relationship arises. To respond to a particular situation requires one to be emotionally present, be able to read body language, motivations, understand repercussions and respond accordingly. Any married person can testify to this. We care about the person and no matter how much preparation we do (data), we cannot provide the proper response unless we are invested with our heart, our very self, in that person.
So coming back to AI. Are we intelligent enough to be able to get to AI. I am not sure we ever will be. That is the special gift to humans, makes us much more than data crunching machines. I would rename it to be Artificial information acquisition and transformations or something like that. Intelligent has a much higher purpose. My parents could use some of my friends information, definitely, but even without it, I would trust their intelligence to do the best for me. No amount of data can replace the love and concern that went into preparing my meals.