Paul Cantrell
I’ll agree with all of what this thread says — still a big fan of the idea of “multiple intelligences” here — and I’ll add to it:
Not only do we not have •tests• for the many things that fall under the umbrella of “intelligence,” we don’t even have consensus about what those all tests are supposed to be measuring.
And worse yet…
1/ https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:esrrgaktqbyod6pcd7fvh66x/post/3ll76c2fjo224
Paul Cantrell
…there is no widely accepted definition of what “intelligence” even means. Everyone thinks they know until they actually think about it. So, to summarize:
- We can’t define it
- We can’t define •what• we want to measure
- We can’t define •how• we’d measure it
- If we were to measure it, we have no particular reason to think it’s quantifiable on a linear scale
- It’s almost certainly multidimensional
- Whenever we try to measure this mysterious unmeasurable “it” anyway, we always seem to end up with a biased metric that measure something else instead
2/
Paul Cantrell
…and yet:
- We have a single number (“IQ”) that purports to authoritatively encapsulate it
- and we claim to be building artifical versions of it.
Mmmmmmmkay.
/end
Paul Cantrell
I’m fine with open-ended, vage, multivalent, unmeasurable, unquantifiable concepts. “Culture.” “Art.” “Nature.” “Beauty.”
But the idea that “intelligence” doesn’t belong on that list, that it is instead exists as some objective, concrete thing? •That• is magical thinking.
/end
Paul Cantrell
@fishidwardrobe
From what I know of my dad’s background in experimental psychology, there’s been a •huge• amount of work on it, and all of it points toward “We need to try to understand smaller, more specific subunits of this constellation we call ‘intelligence’ because the whole thing at once just isn’t one thing.”
Fish Id Wardrobe
@inthehands It amazes me how little effort we are expending on trying to understand intelligence. I mean: I'm sure it is studied. But we hear so little about it that I assume not as much as, say, the cost of fish or what day of the week is most depressing
David Smith
@inthehands this leads directly to my current pessimistic position of “we have not made an artificial intelligence, but if and when we someday do, we won’t be able to tell and probably won’t notice”
Paul Cantrell
@Catfish_Man
cf. bags of mostly water
Paul Cantrell
@Catfish_Man
It was not a great episode, but it’s one of the all-time greatest quotes
Paul Cantrell
@fishidwardrobe
One could ask that question of most research!
Fish Id Wardrobe
@inthehands then perhaps I should say: it's weird we're not hearing about this because surely it should interest everyone?
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