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0 pointsghm21801y ago0 comments

> The only thing these engines do, for me perhaps, is save some search time.

This. Saving time(or money if you see them as the same) is the whole point actually.

Intelligence is supposed to be in the context of a shared Goal or beliefs. In your case and case of most humans time and money is the context.

Are ant(insect) networks intelligent? Possibly, They do help millions of them communicate quickly. But ants don't have a brain.

Are beings that make decisions without conscious choices intelligent? Possibly, if they could escape death by amazing ability at any instant. But these beings don't have a frontal cortex that can make decisions by rational inquiry.

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stevenjgarner1y ago· 1 in thread

> But ants don't have a brain.

Ants have a brain, albeit a small one - some 250,000 nerve cells vs 100 billion neurons in the human brain [1]

It is somewhat like saying an Intel 4004 is not really a microprocessor as it only has 2,300 transistors vs an Apple M4 with 28 billion transistors.

[1] https://www.smorescience.com/do-ants-have-brains/

ghm2180OP1y ago

Debating this point is a bit like bike shedding and besides the point. The point is they can't think nearly as closely like humans, but a network of them can seemingly do intelligent things. Intelligence is only about shared goals and beliefs with an agent(the other ants in this example) and achieving them.

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