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Article 2918 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Redefining Intelligence
Message-ID: <1992Jan20.185948.13056@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: 20 Jan 92 18:59:48 GMT
References: <1992Jan18.154135.122@lrc.edu>
Organization: Northern Illinois University
Lines: 95

In article <1992Jan18.154135.122@lrc.edu> lehman_ds@lrc.edu writes:

>   I think it's time for a new definition or term for computer generated
>intelligence..

 Conventional wisdom:  intelligence is that which is measured by intelligence
    tests; intelligence is the ability to think and reason.

 Alternative definition: intelligence is the ability to adapt.

    Most people are quite reluctant to accept the alternative definition,
    probably because under it even a bacterium has some small amount of
    intelligence, so accepting this definition can deflate the ego.

 In order to minimize heated arguments as to what constitutes intelligence, we
can define several different types of intelligence:

    Adaptive intelligence.  The ability to adapt.

    Cognitive intelligence.  The ability to think.  I prefer to omit
         more restrictive requirements such as the ability to reason, which
         might require language and perhaps limit the definition's
         applicability to humans.

    Artificial intelligence.  Intelligence created on a computer.

 ----------------

 Expanding somewhat on these, we have:

    Adaptive intelligence.  The ability to adapt.  This provides clear
         survival benefits to a species, so that there is an evident reason
         for it to evolve.  Some degree of adaptive intelligence is present in
         all living creatures, both plant and animal.

         As might be expected, adaptive intelligence has evolved in more
         advanced creatures.  The result of this evolution is an ever more
         refined ability to recognize, to respond and to adapt, often with
         great precision, to even quite subtle changes.  Such refinement
         includes the evolution of memory systems, so that past experience can
         be a guide in future adaptive reactions to similar experiences.

         Common sense, instinctive reactions, intuition, are largely
         consequences of a highly refined adaptive intelligence.

    Cognitive intelligence.  The ability to think.  This type of intelligence
         appears only in relatively advanced animals.  There is possibly some
         cognitive ability in all species of mammals and birds, but perhaps
         nowhere else.

         Since cognitive intelligence cannot be traced back to more primitive
         animals, we are forced to accept one of two possible origins:

              Cognitive intelligence resulted from an act of supernatural
              creation.

         or

              Cognitive intelligence is a superstructure which evolved from
              a foundation of adaptive intelligence, and which is in fact
              mainly a side effect of highly advanced adaptive intelligence.

         Obviously I favor the second of these explanations as to the origin
         of cognition.  It is clear that cognitive intelligence greatly
         enhances adaptive intelligence.  It is equally clear that cognitive
         intelligence is highly dependent on the underlying foundation of
         adaptive intelligence upon which it is built.

    Artificial intelligence.  A largely unsuccessful attempt to construct
         the superstructure of cognitive intelligence without first
         constructing an adequately refined adaptive intelligence as a basis.

         There have of course been successful AI projects.  But they have
         been successes in quite restricted aspects of intelligence.  For the
         most part the results have been to create highly fragile
         intelligence.  This fragility is a consequence of the lack of an
         adequately refined underlying adaptive intelligence.

         Some of the most effective AI projects are interactive programs which
         function in a kind of symbiotic relation with their human operators.
         In these projects the human supplies the adaptive intelligence that
         would otherwise be lacking.

>                        I am an undergrad working on a BS in CS, but I

 If you want to graduate, be rewarded with tenure, promotion, financial
support, then study cognitive intelligence and artificial intelligence
and ignore adaptive intelligence.  But if you really want to understand
intelligence, then study adaptive intelligence.

-- 
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  Neil W. Rickert, Computer Science               <rickert@cs.niu.edu>
  Northern Illinois Univ.
  DeKalb, IL 60115                                   +1-815-753-6940


