It is a simple way of expressing “a lot,” but it’s also one that immediately raises the question “is there any meaningful sense in which anyone that smart has actually existed?”
Of course, when Carrier claims that the most remarkably intelligent people do not tend to be the most productive, while it’s clear what kind of individuals he has in mind, the obvious next question is “can we design machines that use their intelligence more productively than humans?” Considering how human brains actually work, this sounds like much less of a tall order than making AI that are more intelligent in a humanlike way.
It is a simple way of expressing “a lot,” but it’s also one that immediately raises the question “is there any meaningful sense in which anyone that smart has actually existed?”
Of course, when Carrier claims that the most remarkably intelligent people do not tend to be the most productive, while it’s clear what kind of individuals he has in mind, the obvious next question is “can we design machines that use their intelligence more productively than humans?” Considering how human brains actually work, this sounds like much less of a tall order than making AI that are more intelligent in a humanlike way.