From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!utcsri!rutgers!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!access.usask.ca!skorpio!choy Wed Aug 12 16:52:06 EDT 1992
Article 6544 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: choy@skorpio.usask.ca (I am a terminator.)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Defining Intelligence
Message-ID: <1992Aug2.021640.28631@access.usask.ca>
Date: 2 Aug 92 02:16:40 GMT
References: <2ZmcoB1w164w@cybernet.cse.fau.edu> <1992Jul23.151338.28804@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Sender: choy@skorpio (I am a terminator.)
Organization: University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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In article <1992Jul23.151338.28804@mp.cs.niu.edu>, rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:
|> In article <2ZmcoB1w164w@cybernet.cse.fau.edu> justin.bbs@cybernet.cse.fau.edu writes:
|> >
|> >        This thread has been beating at this subject for quite some time 
|> >now, and I believe a reassessment of the progress that has been made here 
|> >(or that has not been made, as the case may be) would be useful to 
|> >provide redirection for the discussion.
|> >        I'm not ambitious enough to undertake this, but I wonder if we 
|> >can agree on some basics?  Criticism on these points is welcome.
|> >
|> >        I. Intelligence requires a memory storage/retrieval system.
|> 
|>   Strongly disagree.
|> 
|>   Certainly humans are capable of learning, and learning implies some
|> kind of memory.  But I deny that it is a "storage/retrieval" system.
|> Indeed it is my opinion that the often held belief that we have a
|> storage/retrieval system is a major stumbling block in understanding
|> human cognition.
|> 
|> >        II. Intelligence is about problem-solving.
|> 
|>   Strongly disagree.
|> 
|>   Intelligence is all about survival.  For survival, response to stimulus
|> is the important feature.  Problem solving certainly helps by greatly
|> broadening the variety of possible responses.  But I would prefer to
|> say that problem solving ability is a side effect of intelligence, rather
|> than a central component.

Can't a being that is totally oblivious about the idea of survival, so
oblivious that the concept is not even an instinct, be intelligent?

|> >        III. Intelligence requires drives.
|> 
|>   Of course, there is the genetically implanged drive for survival.
|> But if you intended some conscious drive, I must strongly disagree.
|> That has it backwards.  Intelligence is needed to produce the type of
|> conscious awareness necessary as a prerequisite for having such drives.
|> 
|> >        IV. Intelligence requires creativity.
|> 
|>   Again, I must disagree.  Once again, creativity is an effect of
|> intelligence, but I very much doubt that it is a prerequisite.  Indeed,
|> it is much more likely that intelligence is a prerequisite for creativity.

Creativity and intelligence may be independent. The unintelligent flower
can create beauty and nice odors.

|> >        V. Intelligence is a function of speed.  It's likely we all agree 
|> >on this point.
|> 
|>   Can't agree here either.  Speed certainly has utility.  But I don't
|> believe it is central.  Certainly speed is an important part of
|> intelligence for an animal involved in intense predator/prey relations.
|> But if a creature adopts an ecological niche where there are no predators,
|> it might be able to adopt a quite sedate life style and still be very
|> intelligent.
|> 
|> >        VI. Certain types of intelligence require communication.
|> 
|>   Finally, something I can agree with - sort of.
|> 
|> >                                                                  This is 
|> >where the Turing Test comes in,
|> 
|>   Just a moment there.  The communication you are thinking of in the
|> Turing test is needed to demonstrate the intelligence to others.  It is
|> not itself an integral part of the intelligence.
|> 
|>   That being said, the term "communication" is so general, and your
|> equivocation "certain types of" is so broad, that I have to agree with
|> statement VI.
|> 

Henry Choy
choy@cs.usask.ca


