Is AI really ‘intelligent’? This philosopher says yes
Is AI really ‘intelligent’? This philosopher says yes
https://theconversation.com/is-ai-really-intelligent-this-philosopher-says-yes-271721
Publish Date: 2026-02-19 19:14:00
Source Domain: theconversation.com
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Competences Without Comprehension: Large Language Models may give an impression of intelligence but lack true comprehension, as noted by philosopher Daniel Dennett’s view of “competence without comprehension.”
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Skeptical Reaction to AI Hype: The optimism surrounding AGI has prompted a backlash filled with cynicism, with fears that AI could inadvertently control our lives.
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Multidisciplinary Approach to Intelligence: Blaise Agüera y Arcas’ book draws on numerous fields such as microbiology, philosophy, neuroscience, and industrial history to redefine intelligence.
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Computation as a Foundation of Intelligence: Agüera y Arcas argues that computation is the underlying basis of intelligence in all life forms and suggests that prediction is the key principle behind intelligence.
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Pattern Emergence and Origins: The book explores how patterns emerge from randomness and the origins of life, positioning computation as a mechanism of evolution and potentially challenging Darwinian natural selection.
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Central Tenets of Intelligence: According to the book, intelligence is a property of systems and function is its primary indicator. The author introduces the idea that intelligence doesn’t necessitate traditional “thinking,” but the capacity for function and pattern completion.
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Exploration of Complex Functions: The research into finding “intelligence behaviors” in various forms such as cells, tissues, and synthetic constructs underscores a new way of interpreting intelligence across different orders of life.
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Implications for the Future of AI: The book’s ideas could significantly alter our understanding of where human intelligence stands in the context of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence and its future evolution.
