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>Humans are, by the mere definition of the word, “intelligent”. Humans are absolutely not intelligent by definition, that's why words like "unintelligent", "du

>Humans are, by the mere definition of the word, “intelligent”. Humans are absolutely not intelligent by definition, that's why words like "unintelligent", "dumb" and "stupid" exist.

littlestymaar 3y ago
You're using adjectives that are relative between humans. The dumbest human is still far more intelligent than any other animal on earth, by construction of our own definition of intelligence.
- ben_w 3y ago
  There have been many definitions of intelligence, some of which have been constructed such that they had only specific races[0] be classified as intelligent, while others (the slaves) were classified as unintelligent. Of the tests/definitions that separate humans from non-human animals, the three I grew up with were language, tool use, and the mirror test. AI can definitely do the first two — LLMs know far more languages, natural and programming, than I do — and I don't know either way about the third for reasons related to why I am also dubious about how effective it is really. IMO those tests are not great, and we don't have a meaningful way to put humans and dolphins on the same scale for the same reason you can't meaningfully put a 747 and a Harley Davidson on the same scale for vehicle goodness. [0] never mind that "race" isn't a real thing
  - littlestymaar 3y ago
    I agree with all you're saying. My point is just that we explicitly define intelligence as things humans excel at and other beings don't (and you are right to point out that in the − not so distant − past, the distinctions wasn't so much humans vs other beings but white aristocracy vs other humans). And we've been doing the same with AI for a while: beating a chess grand master would have been considered an unambiguous proof of intelligence 50 years ago, now I don't think anyone would argue Stockfish is actually intelligent.

>Humans are, by the mere definition of the word, “intelligent”. Humans are absolutely not intelligent by definition, that's why words like "unintelligent", "dumb" and "stupid" exist.

littlestymaar 3y ago

You're using adjectives that are relative between humans. The dumbest human is still far more intelligent than any other animal on earth, by construction of our own definition of intelligence.

ben_w 3y ago
There have been many definitions of intelligence, some of which have been constructed such that they had only specific races[0] be classified as intelligent, while others (the slaves) were classified as unintelligent. Of the tests/definitions that separate humans from non-human animals, the three I grew up with were language, tool use, and the mirror test. AI can definitely do the first two — LLMs know far more languages, natural and programming, than I do — and I don't know either way about the third for reasons related to why I am also dubious about how effective it is really. IMO those tests are not great, and we don't have a meaningful way to put humans and dolphins on the same scale for the same reason you can't meaningfully put a 747 and a Harley Davidson on the same scale for vehicle goodness. [0] never mind that "race" isn't a real thing
- littlestymaar 3y ago
  I agree with all you're saying. My point is just that we explicitly define intelligence as things humans excel at and other beings don't (and you are right to point out that in the − not so distant − past, the distinctions wasn't so much humans vs other beings but white aristocracy vs other humans). And we've been doing the same with AI for a while: beating a chess grand master would have been considered an unambiguous proof of intelligence 50 years ago, now I don't think anyone would argue Stockfish is actually intelligent.