IQ and artificial intelligence

In this book, the question regularly arises whether artificial intelligence will ultimately pose a threat to humanity, or can instead become our greatest ally.

But what does it actually mean when an AI develops an intelligence that far surpasses that of humans?

Albert Einstein is often cited as one of the most intelligent people who ever lived. Although he never took a modern IQ test, his IQ is estimated at around 160. Even more remarkable was William James Sidis, an exceptional linguistic and mathematical prodigy, whose IQ is said to have been between 250 and 300. However, his life ended tragically. He was so exceptionally gifted that he could barely adapt to the world around him.

But just imagine that we develop a self-learning system with an intelligence corresponding to an IQ of 300, 500, or even 1000.

Actually, we have no idea what that would mean .

Such a system would likely be able to make connections at lightning speed, process enormous amounts of knowledge, and perhaps answer questions that humanity has been struggling with for centuries.

Could such an intelligence put an end to wars and conflicts by finding solutions we simply do not think of? Could it explain to us what time really is? What dark matter exactly entails? Why the universe exists? Or even why we exist?

Perhaps we will initially view such a superintelligence as a tool. But at some point, it could surpass our intellect to such an extent that we can no longer even follow its reasoning.

An ant cannot possibly understand what goes on inside a human head. Perhaps the relationship between humans and a future superintelligence will be comparable to that. We might still be able to read its conclusions, but we will no longer understand how it arrived at them.

That prospect is both fascinating and disturbing.

Perhaps therein lies the greatest question of this century: are we building a machine that saves humanity, or an intelligence that will eventually surpass us?

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