Question

"Surely animals cannot be intelligent - they only do what their genes tell them to do!" - is the latter statement true? Explain.

Answer 1

Define intelligence

Answer 2

Intelligence is the ability to apply knowledge in order to perform better in an environment.

Answer 3

Humans are animals. If we are not intelligent, nothing in the world is intelligent

Answer 4

so what makes us intelligent?

Answer 5

We follow and get to a solution based in experiences and learnings. Not all our actions come from the genes.

Answer 6

where does experience and learning come from?

Answer 7

You get them from your education, from different events through your life and things like that

Answer 8

Can computers be intelligent?

Answer 9

In my opinion no. I havent seen a computer that learns and then uses that knowledge to get to solutions. Ive seen computers using really advanced algorithms that simulate intelligence

Answer 10

why must it merely 'simulate' intelligence, and not effectively be intelligence, when a computer algorithm is able to learn and recognize patterns?

Answer 11

They might recognize and understand the patterns, but, how do computers learn the patterns? The algorithm tells the computer to save and learn it, but it is not the computer independently that chose to do that. Computers just follow the instructions given to them

Answer 12

As i said, this is a question that doesnt has an answer. There are 2 groups of people: 1 group thinks AI exists and the other group doesnt. It is like "Does god exist?" questions. There isnt a solid answer

Answer 13

I guess you're right; there is no single learning algorithm where I can simply tell a computer to learn how to read chinese and it will do it automatically - I must always implement a specific learning algorithm that matches strokes in chinese writing etc.

Answer 14

I guess it really boils down to the definition of intelligence - I would say the checkers-playing algorithm is intelligent if I use that definition of intelligence above, since it is able to perform the best actions in any checkers-game, whether by table-lookup-reflex or by some problem-solving algorithm, or by a learning-algorithm. Take that same checkers algorithm and have him play poker, counter-strike, or control a helicopter and he will not perform rationally :(

Answer 15

Isn't that the same with humans? Ask me to speak Chinese and I won't be able to without being taught first - does that mean I'm not intelligent?

Answer 16

I don't think so. If we put you in China after a year you will definitely gain some Chinese that to on your own. Of course it's not easy that is why people like to have teachers.

I doubt if a computer can do that.

Answer 17

Learning algorithms can :-D

Answer 18

Is there something like Learning Algorithms?

Answer 19

I mean is it in practice or theory

Answer 20

definitely in practice. Machine learning is becoming widespread for such applications

Answer 21

Hmm Intelligence must have other aspects too besides learning, Thinking and Imagining.