According to Google researcher and author Blaise Agüera y Arcas, intelligence is fundamentally the ability to predict the future from the past, operating as a functional computation that can happen in biological brains, single cells, or artificial neural networks. [1, 2]
Core Ideas on Intelligence
Prediction as the Core: Intelligence is the mathematical and functional act of computing “P of the future given the past”. Large language models (LLMs) doing next-word prediction accidentally tap into this core property. [1, 2, 3]
Functionalism: Intelligence is not tied to a specific biological material or “magical” human essence; it is “multiply realizable,” meaning any system—whether a wet biological brain or a digital computer—that performs the right input-output functions is intelligent. [1, 2]
Life as Computation: Living systems are inherently computational from the start. DNA acts like a Turing tape and ribosomes act as universal constructors, linking life, evolution, and computation into a single continuous science. [1, 2]
Symbiosis and Cooperation: Evolution builds greater intelligence not just through ruthless competition, but through symbiogenesis—simpler computational entities combining to form more complex systems and shared minds. [1, 2]
Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
