This post is a response to a question posed in its complete format: “Can AI surpass human intelligence? If so, what are the risks and benefits?”
The problem with this question is that it presumes humans possess only one form of intelligence or that intelligence exists in only one form.
That’s not the case at all.
An AI already surpasses the human capacity for numeric intelligence, but emotional intelligence is entirely outside its capacity… for example.
Then there are other forms of intelligence that we still don’t understand and barely recognize. Cultural intelligence and curiosity are also forms of intelligence displayed by humans that we’ve some understanding of, albeit limited, as we’ve only recently (less than 40 years) come to recognize these capacities as forms of intelligence, which are still disputed in some circles.
The forms of intelligence we discover in nature make matters more complicated, such as trees communicating among each other using a limited vocabulary transmitted through their root structures.
The intelligent fungus has gained public recognition as a unique phenomenon, capturing attention and spawning a popular video game, with the second season of its television adaptation set to be released. (After the first powerhouse season, I am looking forward to that one.)
At any rate, what we will likely discover as AI evolves, and whether it presents itself as a self-aware entity, are entirely different forms of intelligence.
We still don’t fully understand intelligence, so it’s rather presumptuous to pit forms of intelligence against each other, like comic book characters, to see who would win.
It’s impossible to predict who would win if we can’t identify all the forms of intelligence available to either party and the context in which their “combat is waged.”
Bonus Question: Is ChatGPT capable of understanding emotions or empathy?
Answer: Sure… in the same way your potato peeler understands potatoes, even though it may sometimes confuse them with carrots.
thotbag 