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This chapter is concerned with the question of intelligence which has implications for developments in the area of the intelligent machine. Does the speed of a calculation belie intelligence? Surely finding a simple way to a solution — something a computer cannot do — shows more intelligence. Compare computer memory and human memory: we may not have a computer's memory for fine detail, but this is because we select what we feel is relevant to us. A computer cannot perform this function. Consider the computer and intuition. At the age of 12, Gauss discovered by intuition the formula for the sum of an arithmetical sequence. Could a computer ever do this? Intelligence is more than the ability to calculate and build up complicated scenarios using data and a given strategy. This is a reductionist and defeatist definition. An element of creativity is essential in the concept of intelligence. In its turn creativity must include elements of systematic intelligence: critical consolidation, attempts to incorporate creative ideas in a standardized whole and to assess their relevance. The fascination with AI lies in the hidden paths along which the brain moves when it proceeds without really knowing what is happening and what it is up to.

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-1731-5_15

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