AI and Alternative Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is the buzzword of the decade. As Google, Facebook, Amazon, Elon Musk and probably ISIS pour more and more resources into machine learning in the hope (and fear) of creating technology at least as smart as humans, we grow ever closer to the next giant leap for mankind. Indeed, the journey to AI is the Space Race 2.0 - the superpowers of the world are fighting to be the first to reach the greatest innovation of all time, only this time it's not national, it's commercial.
But let's take a step back and ask one of those questions everyone feels too embarrassed to actually ask: Why is intelligence so hard to mimic? I mean, you already know some pretty smart machines and you definitely know some very dumb humans. Why is it so damn hard to close that gap, that even the mighty Google is struggling?
The answer is, of course, vast and complex, but this is the shortcut: The human brain is, by far, the most intricate, complicated and mysterious object in the entire known universe. We still don't really know what consciousness is, so trying to mimic it is like a child trying to assemble an engine after seeing someone drive a car.
As for intelligence, well recent research shows that human intelligence comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, including these 8 at least.
Machines and AI are far better than humans will ever be at computing data, playing chess and solving other logical problems. They've become almost as good as humans at recognising faces and translating languages (except for Icelandic), but they really struggle with understanding emotion, making music, or anything else creative.
We won't always have this edge over the machines, but it turns out that our unique genius as humans lies in the types of intelligences that schools don't typically measure. Perhaps the next giant leap for mankind will mean a new definition of "intelligent" for all.
