Mar 29, 2021
A Theory of Artificial Intelligence
Our evolution into Homo Sapien Sapien was the epitome of evolution, and for years we have thought of ourselves as the definition of intelligence of all living things. What if this has limited our ability to grow? What if it has limited our mind to think about more?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Intelligence is defined as acquiring and applying knowledge and skills. A being is considered intelligent if it has this ability.
Every living thing is intelligent!
In the Animal Kingdom…
When it comes to construction, beavers are known to be the best architects.
Cathedral termites can build self-sustaining homes with water and food supplies, something humans have and is clearly failing at.
Social weaver birds can construct facilities that house over 400 birds and last for over 100 years. These structures are inherently secure in their weaved structure. Naturally, they regulate temperature with inner chambers to retain heat at night and outer chambers to provide a cool environment during hot days.
Termites build extraordinary structures that perfectly fit their needs. Their mounds have chambers that suit specific functions, connecting tunnels that allow large crowds to pass in both directions, and airflow keeps the nest cool during the day and warm during the night. Designing such structures out of simple materials proves difficult even for human architects, yet it appears effortless for the tiny-brained termite.
There are other animals with forms of intelligence that stands out. These include:
- Homing Pigeons can return from long distances without any guidance. This is through utilizing the iron structures in their beaks to sense the Earth’s magnetic field to identify their geographical position. This may be present in other birds as well.
- The mycicepurus smithii, species of ants found in the Amazon, can reproduce through cloning.
- Elephants can sniff out their absent relatives and build a mental map of where they are.
The list goes on and continues to grow with new research.
The topic of intelligent animal dates back to the Classical period Aristotle and Rene Descartes. Rene Descartes said that animals were automata. This means that they were mindless machines. The middle ages literature argued that animals were conscious beings.
What about plants?
Plants are intelligent. They can solve problems, learn from their past and adapt accordingly. Through rigorous research and experimentation, the following behavioural characteristics have now been established and can be attributed to plants:
- Communication
- Learning
- Problem Solving
- Memory & Memory Recall
The notion of plant intelligence is not new. Darwin, after much experimentation, concluded, ‘The tip of the root having the power of redirecting the movements of the adjoining parts acts like the brain of one of the lower animals receiving the impressions of sense organs and directing the several movements ’. Von Hartmann, an early psychologist, was also surprised by leaf behaviour, as he reported in 1875. ‘If one sees how many means are here to attain the same end, one will be almost tempted to believe that here dwells a secret intelligence which chooses the most appropriate means for the attainment of the end’. Frits Went, the discoverer of auxin, a major plant hormone in the early 1930s, concluded, ‘In tropistic movements, plants appear to exhibit a sort of intelligence; their movement is of subsequent advantage to them’. Weaver quoted the nineteenth-century German scientist, von Liebig (discoverer of the mineral requirements of plant growth), in 1926 as saying, ‘Plants search for food as if they had eyes’.
The Trees
The Wood Wide Web created by trees in a forest through the connection of mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi live symbiotically with the roots of forest trees. The fungi surround multiple trees creating a network that passes nutrients between different species of trees over a large area. During seasons, trees that do not fare are aided by those which can. For example, a coniferous tree that thrives in winter would provide food for those that do not. Trees would communicate through the same fungi if a predator were around. This is through pheromonic chemicals. These chemicals are dispersed through the mycorrhizal fibres and the air blowing through the trees. It alerts the other trees that an attack is imminent. This gives the trees time to prepare themselves.
Where does AI come in?
Artificial Intelligence is man-made intelligence, not man-based intelligence. However, thus far, it has been based on man’s intelligence. This may have been our limitation on attaining true Artificial Intelligence.
What if we included the intelligence possessed by animals and plants in Artificial Intelligence? What if we looked at Artificial Intelligence as man-made intelligence based on all that exists in our lifetime, both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial?
What would we leverage?
Learning
Each living organism is capable of learning. The same way we all learn differently is the same way all organisms have a unique way of learning.
Perception
Each living organism sees the world differently. The ecosystem enables each organism to play a different role. Like a squirrel would see a coniferous tree and see a home, while a neighbouring tree would see it as a means of survival during winter. Humans could learn a thing or two from seeing the world from different perspectives.
Different Features
Each living organism has different organs and features that enable them to survive and thrive in the environment. Each of these different features functions differently. Learning from them can give us insight into having a feature we do not possess.
What has been done?
Research is being done for the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI). The goal is to build machines that can reason and cope with novel tasks, environments, and situations that approach animals' abilities.
Read more here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326885335_Priors_in_Animal_and_Artificial_Intelligence_Where_Does_Learning_Begin.
Disclaimer
This blog contains my own personal opinions and observations. I do not possess any further education in Artificial Intelligence, so I do not consider myself an expert. I encourage you to conduct your own independent research.
References
https://theconversation.com/clever-crows-can-plan-for-the-future-like-humans-do-80627
