The word is often on our mouths, especially with the letter A in front of it although the latter might not be… intelligent. So, what is intelligence and how has it emerged? Dayeol Lee, Bloomsberg Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience, Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University studies decision-making and has written a wonderful book, “The Birth of Intelligence” where he traces the origins of the concept.

 Intelligence is what makes us unique as a species. It is the ability to take decisions and solve problems under a variety of environments, “for life”, Dayeol adds. Intelligence is expressed in behaviours and the latter are product of brain functions. But decision-making is also the focus of disciplines such as biology, economy or psychology, making the study of intelligence interdisciplinary.

 Daeyeol Lee argues that intelligence is inextricably linked to life and the need to self-replicate. At its heart, there is the relationship between the genes and the brain. The genes delegate the responsibility for their replication to the brain and this is the ultimate reason why the brain plays such a critical role in decision-making. Artificial intelligence is a surrogate of human intelligence. Today’s machines do not reproduce themselves, and hence they are intelligent “through us”. Once advances are made in artificial life, this may change, but why would we wish for it?

#neurocentury #neuroscience #intelligence #AI

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Music for the NeuroCentury podcast is composed by ⁠Rafał Kulczycki