Intelligence and computation: A view from physiology

Abstract

It is broadly assumed that the incorporation of intelligence in computer-based devices should increase their capabilities. We lack an operational understanding of the elements that should be implemented in an artificial system to deserve the attribute of intelligent. Meanwhile, the devices are rather characterized by showing an interface able to convince naive users but lacking real intelligence. It could be worth to analyze the physiological properties of natural intelligence to draw conclusions on the operational properties that could be effectively implemented into an artificial system. It is stated that behaviors based just in programs, whether in natural or artificial systems, do not contain signs of intelligence. The emergence of intelligence is dissected and shown that at least in basic conditions this function can be explained in terms of associative learning, leveraged by some properties that result specifically apparent in humans: unlimited exploratory activity, apparent absence of genetically defined aims, transgenerational transference of information, and generalization and symbolic manipulation capabilities. It is proposed that the interest of the field should move towards the definition of rules to instruct an associative learning machine on adaptiveness.