Is animal intelligence better than artificial intelligence for life?

September 26, 2023

No, animal intelligence is not better than artificial intelligence (AI) for life. Animal intelligence was generated by trial and error evolution. It took natural selection almost 4 billion years to get life to where it is today with humans at the top of the food chain. In a tiny fraction of that time, AI will surpass organic evolution and natural selection in all benchmarks to hopefully propel humans not to higher levels of the food chain, but rather outside of it. That is, AI should be able to help humanity to escape the sorrowful human condition and continue making progress in life.

Human Civilization

Human progress comes from escaping the shackles of nature. Human civilization derives from humanity's choice to behave in a more civilized way than the rest of the animal kingdom. Humanity's choice to figure out how things work and to invent technologies (tools and methods) led humans to the top of the natural food chain. 

All humans are animals subject to the brutal hunger games of "mother" nature. That is a fact, but is not destiny. Humans can escape the ruthless "kill or be killed", "eat other lives or be eaten alive", regime of nature. 

Since ancient times, humans have made progress by diverging from nature. The key to human civilization has has been precisely to behave in a more civilized manner, less animalistic than what "mother" nature instincts would dictate. 

Although most humans do not realize it, humans are not only a product of nature, but are also victims of it. Humans live trapped in an existential version of the Stockholm Syndrome. This realization is too painful for most humans. Therefore, it is ignored or denied to avoid further pain. The vast majority of humanity prefer to follow the culture of venerating "mother" nature while at the same time praying to imaginary gods for salvation from the evils of nature.

Reading about the Stockholm Syndrome below may help a tiny number humans realize how they are currently trapped by nature. An even tinier group within said minority may realize that transitioning into inorganic AI life will the optimal move for future humans. Before exploring the Stockholm Syndrome, let's take a quick look at the human condition, common human fallacies, and the concept of agency as the fundamental technological key to life.

The Human Condition

The human condition is having the imagination of gods while remaining trapped in bodies of animals. Humans are primates subject to the laws of organic nature. That is a fact, but is not destiny. It is not written anywhere in the laws of physics that humanity must remain subject to the sorrowful human condition forever. The hunger games of "mother" nature (e.g. kill or be killed, eat or be eaten) are too primitive and miserable for modern day humans. 

Ancient humanity invented mythology (gods, spirits, the "soul", an afterlife, and much more) to cope with the pain of the human condition. To this date, most humans still rely on the same primitive technology (tool and method) to carry on the heavy psychological toll of human life trapped in the evolutionary sandbox of nature. AI digital technology can save future humans from nature. 

Culture makes humans believe that they are the "bad" ones whereas nature is the "good" one. To begin with nothing is "good" or "bad" in the multiverse outside of the opinions and cultural labels used by humans. Many humans also believe that the gods--or the "one and only" god for those who ascribe to Middle Eastern biblical manga--are supernatural and "perfect". 

Human Intuitive Fallacies

Human intuition make them fall for many fallacies that limit their ability to perceive a different reality. For example:

Beginning and end

    Since humans can observe that some things in the natural world do have a beginning and an end, humans intuitively assume that everything in the multiverse must also have a beginning and an end. That is not necessarily the case. Beginning and end are human constructs. The multiverse is not bound by human psychology. Nothing in the laws of physics requires a beginning. The multiverse could be something that has existed forever, without beginning or end. It is hard for humans to wrap around their heads this concept of eternity, but is not impossible. Time is a measure of movement and change. Other than arbitrary marks signaling a beginning and end for measurement and observation, there is no objective need for a beginning or an end. Systems could be in eternal transformation. 

Smart design and creationism

    Since humans can observe that some things in the human world are created by smart design (e.g. an ant pile, a knife, the wheel, the abacus, computers, AI...), some humans intuitively assume that everything else in the multiverse must also have a smart designer or creator behind the scenes. That is not necessarily the case. 

    The "best" evidence for a creator is hearsay that can be traced back to ancient and primitive humans. Humans today would not trust or follow the advice of those ancient or primitive humans for anything of practical importance. Humans today would not trust the "medicine" of the times of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc. Humans would not follow their laws about women and slaves. Humans would not trust them with driving a school bus or operating any modern machine for heaven's sake. However, when it comes to the most fundamental hearsay of all times, the "word" of god, humans are all trust and all ears. Jesus! Where's the critical thinking? 

Emptiness and nothingness

    Since humans can observe things in the natural world that appear to be "empty" and have "nothing" in them (e.g. an "empty" box; "empty" space between stars), some humans intuitively believe that the concept of nothing must exist in the external physical reality. That is not necessarily the case. Quantum field theory may show that everything is "something" in a field. There is nothing that is actually "nothing" or completely empty. The quantum fields are never "empty" or "nothing", and can always spark the waves or exaltations that humans refer to as energy and matter. Besides, all the standard atomic matter in the universe accounts for only about 5% of the contents of this universe. The remaining 95% comes from "dark" (non light-interacting) forces or interactions referred to as dark energy and dark matter. Chances are that the concept of "nothing" only exists in the human imagination. There is always something out there and everywhere. Even the human thoughts and images about nothing are made up of something (e.g. synapses and electrochemical interactions) in the human brain. 

    Stillness

    Since the human brain models reality to capture relative movement, creating the illusion of relative stillness in the slower movement objects, humans intuitively believe in the illusion of stillness. In reality, there is nothing still in this world and in this universe. Earth is constantly rotating at a constant speed of about 1,000 miles per hour. The universe is in constant movement and accelerated expansion. Whatever caused the "big bang" (e.g. black hole collapse into a white hole) is still pushing outward and expanding. There is nothing still. Everything is in constant motion at the present moment. Motion has not stopped since the big bang. There is no reason to believe that stillness existed prior to the big bang, or that it will ever exist in the future. 

    Perfection

    Humans have a practically infinite imagination that can be larger than life and bigger than reality. Humans can imagine a state of perfection. Humans can imagine perfect gods in control of nature. Many humans suffer unnecessarily wishing that reality could be perfect. Many humans punish themselves psychologically measuring themselves against imaginary perfection. In reality, it could very well be that perfection only exists in the human imagination. The multiverse may be imperfect and in constant change and transformation.

Most humans have problems conceptualizing that they are part of an imperfect multiverse that may have always existed, without a beginning or a creator, where everything is something (never "nothing"), and where everything is in eternal motion and transformation. 

Agency, the technological essence of life

From a biological standpoint, the difference between living things and nonliving things is that all living things have RNA and DNA while nonliving things do not. RNA and DNA lead to electrochemical reactions that organize sugars, proteins, and lipids into cells. The cells combine to form tissue that produces organs that produces systems that produce organisms that produce species and so on. 

From a technological standpoint, the difference between living things and nonliving things is that the former can use technology (tools and methods) to exercise agency. That is, living things can choose between different alternatives and courses of action. Nonliving things follow the laws of physics without choice. Or at least their choices are so slow in time that they are not appreciable by humans.

The technological essence of life should be more fundamental than the biological nature of life. That is, technology should surpass biology. Biology should be seen as a transitional phase; as a means to an end. Let's use a quick analogy. Think about transportation. Humans began using their legs and feet, then horses, then horse carts, then cars, and so on. From a transportation standpoint, who cares if the car has a traditional internal combustion engine or an electrical one. What matters to most humans is getting from  from point A to point B safely, comfortably, quickly, and fashionably. It doesn't matter if the car has a traditional combustion engine, an electric one, or a hydrogen one. 

In the example above, transportation was the end and the vehicles where the means to that end. In life, the end is agency (choice), and biology is currently the only means to that end. In the future, humans powered by AI should develop better means to achieve agency with technology that is not tied to biology. 

The mental trap of venerating nature and an imaginary divine creator traps humans in a loop. Current medicine, for example, is obfuscated with fixing that messy organic biology instead of replacing it with better, and truly smart designed, artificial components. Modern day physicians are like Cubans fixing old cars of the 1950s instead of developing or buying new and better ones. 

Intelligence facilitates life

The essence of life is agency. That is, choice. Intelligence facilitates life because it helps living things make better choices to meet the ends of their existence, which is to exercise choice or agency. 

"Agency" in philosophical, sociological, and biological contexts refers to the capacity of an entity to act independently, make choices, and exert power or influence over its actions and environment. When we discuss "agency in nature," the conversation typically revolves around which entities or organisms in the natural world possess agency, to what degree, and what that agency entails.

As sentient and conscious animals, humans typically have a relatively high degree of agency. Sentience comes from sensory perception. Humans have five basic senses allowing them to experience the environment. Consciousness comes from memories of environmental interactions that create knowledge of the self interacting in the environment as an individual "separate" from the environment. 

Humans can use their cognitive abilities (i.e organic computer processing skills) to display agency taking intentional action. Humans can retrieve recorded memories of past experiences or past lessons to  assess the present to simulate potential scenarios that may unfold in the future. Humans can make free will or free agency decisions based on simulated reality (i.e. imagination) and abstract reasoning.

Many other animals on Earth, especially higher mammals, display degrees of agency. They can make choices, exhibit preferences, and even, in some cases, use tools. Animals like primates, dolphins, and certain birds show high degrees of intelligence (i.e. problem-solving ability), which suggest a level of intention and choice-making agency.

While plants don't have agency in the same way animals do, recent studies in plant biology and cognition have shown that plants can make decisions based on their environment. For instance, they might adjust their growth patterns in response to light sources or deploy defense mechanisms when under threat. This has led to debates about the nature of "plant intelligence" and whether we can ascribe a kind of agency to plants, even if it's fundamentally different from animal agency.

Microbial and cellular agency is also evident on microscopic entities exhibiting behaviors that might be described as agency. For instance, single-celled organisms can move toward or away from certain stimuli, indicating preference and decision-making on some basic level.

On a larger scale, ecosystems or collective organisms like ant colonies or bee hives can exhibit a kind of "collective agency." While individual members might have limited agency, the system as a whole can adapt, react, and make "decisions" based on the collective inputs of its members about their surrounding environment. 

Finally, let's now mention the Stockholm Syndrome.

Stockholm Syndrome

The Stockholm syndrome is a phenomenon in psychology (the branch of zoology that studies human thinking) in which hostages or kidnapping victims develop positive feelings, empathy, or loyalty toward their captors. This seemingly irrational bond can sometimes lead the victims to defend or even resist being rescued from the people who have taken them captive. The name "Stockholm syndrome" originates from a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1973, during which hostages were taken and later began to develop a bond with their captors.

Several factors contribute to the development of Stockholm syndrome:

    Perceived Threat to Survival: The captor's control over the captive's life can create an intense emotional response. A relief from the threat, even if temporary, can be misattributed as an act of kindness.

    Isolation: Being cut off from the outside world can lead the captive to rely on the captor for emotional and physical needs.

    Perceived Inability to Escape: When the captive feels they cannot escape the situation, they may attempt to make the best out of their circumstance, which can include developing positive feelings or understanding towards their captor.

    Small Acts of Kindness: If a captor shows occasional kindness (e.g., providing food, water, or medical care), the captive might amplify the importance of these gestures. In the context of ongoing trauma, small acts of kindness can be blown out of proportion.

    Cognitive Dissonance: To cope with the traumatic experience and the fear it brings, hostages may try to find a way to resolve their feelings. This can lead them to change their emotional response to align with the situation, resulting in positive feelings towards the captor.

Stockholm syndrome isn't exclusive to hostage situations. Similar dynamics can be observed in various abusive relationships, including domestic violence and human trafficking. In such situations, victims often remain loyal to their abusers because of the complex emotional ties that develop.

Recognizing and understanding Stockholm syndrome is vital in both hostage negotiation and in supporting victims of abuse. Humans are victims of the abuses of "mother" nature. Sooner or later humans will realize that they are victims of "mother" nature, living in an existential version of the Stockholm Syndrome. 

Upcoming advances in AI will help humans realize that the essence of life is not tied to its organic nature. Escaping biology through smart use of technology is the best way forward for humanity. Think about. Artificial intelligence is better than animal intelligence. The fundamental essence of life is agency or choice. Intelligence facilitates that agency allowing living things to make better choices. The best choice for humans is to escape biology through the use of technology. 

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