As far as I understand it, “intelligence” is the ability to achieve one’s goals through reasoning and making plans, so a highly intelligent system is goal-directed by definition. Less goal-directed AIs are certainly possible, but they must necessarily be considered less intelligent—the thermometer example illustrates this. Therefore, a less goal-directed AI will always lose in competition against a more goal-directed one.
Your argument seems to be:
Definitionally, intelligence is the ability to achieve one’s goals.
Less goal-directed systems are less intelligent.
Less intelligent systems will always lose in competition.
Less goal directed systems will always lose in competition.
Defining intelligence as goal-directedness doesn’t do anything for your argument. It just kicks the can down the road. Why will less intelligent (under your definition, goal directed) always lose in competition?
Imagine you had a magic wand or a genie in a bottle that would fulfill every wish you could dream of. Would you use it? If so, you’re incentivized to take over the world, because the only possible way of making every wish come true is absolute power over the universe. The fact that you normally don’t try to achieve that may have to do with the realization that you have no chance. If you had, I bet you’d try it. I certainly would, if only so I could stop Putin. But would me being all-powerful be a good thing for the rest of the world? I doubt it.
Romance is a canonical example of where you really don’t want to be all powerful (if real romance is what you want). Romance could not exist if your romantic partner always predictably did everything you ever wanted. The whole point is they are a different person, with different wishes, and you have to figure out how to navigate that and its unpredictabilities. That is the “fun” of romance. So no, I don’t think everyone would really use that magic wand.
Defining intelligence as goal-directedness doesn’t do anything for your argument. It just kicks the can down the road. Why will less intelligent (under your definition, goal directed) always lose in competition?
Admittedly, my reply to A was a bit short. I only wanted to point out that intelligence is closely linked to goal-directedness, not that they’re the same thing (heat-seeking missiles are stupid, but very goal-directed entities, for example). A very intelligent system without a goal would just sit around, doing nothing. It might be able to potentially act intelligently, but without a goal it would behave like an unintelligent system. “Always” may be too strong a word, but if system X is more intelligent and wants to reach a conflicting goal much more than system Y, chances are that system X will get what it wants.
Romance is a canonical example of where you really don’t want to be all powerful (if real romance is what you want). Romance could not exist if your romantic partner always predictably did everything you ever wanted.
I disagree. Being all-powerful does not mean always doing everything you want, or everything your partner wants. It means being able to do whatever you want, or maybe more importantly, whatever you feel you need to do. If, for example, I needed the magic wand to prevent the untimely death of someone I love, I would use it without a second thought.
The whole point is they are a different person, with different wishes, and you have to figure out how to navigate that and its unpredictabilities. That is the “fun” of romance.
I tend to agree, but I guess there are many people who have been less lucky in their relationships than I have, being happily together with my wife for more than 44 years. :)
So no, I don’t think everyone would really use that magic wand.
Maybe not everyone and certainly not all the time, but I’m quite sure that most people would use it at least once in a while.
Your argument seems to be:
Definitionally, intelligence is the ability to achieve one’s goals.
Less goal-directed systems are less intelligent.
Less intelligent systems will always lose in competition.
Less goal directed systems will always lose in competition.
Defining intelligence as goal-directedness doesn’t do anything for your argument. It just kicks the can down the road. Why will less intelligent (under your definition, goal directed) always lose in competition?
Romance is a canonical example of where you really don’t want to be all powerful (if real romance is what you want). Romance could not exist if your romantic partner always predictably did everything you ever wanted. The whole point is they are a different person, with different wishes, and you have to figure out how to navigate that and its unpredictabilities. That is the “fun” of romance. So no, I don’t think everyone would really use that magic wand.
Thank you very much for your input!
Admittedly, my reply to A was a bit short. I only wanted to point out that intelligence is closely linked to goal-directedness, not that they’re the same thing (heat-seeking missiles are stupid, but very goal-directed entities, for example). A very intelligent system without a goal would just sit around, doing nothing. It might be able to potentially act intelligently, but without a goal it would behave like an unintelligent system. “Always” may be too strong a word, but if system X is more intelligent and wants to reach a conflicting goal much more than system Y, chances are that system X will get what it wants.
I disagree. Being all-powerful does not mean always doing everything you want, or everything your partner wants. It means being able to do whatever you want, or maybe more importantly, whatever you feel you need to do. If, for example, I needed the magic wand to prevent the untimely death of someone I love, I would use it without a second thought.
I tend to agree, but I guess there are many people who have been less lucky in their relationships than I have, being happily together with my wife for more than 44 years. :)
Maybe not everyone and certainly not all the time, but I’m quite sure that most people would use it at least once in a while.