"The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis

A Brief History of Biological and Artificial Intelligence with Max Bennett

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Feb 7, 2024

In this engaging discussion, Max Bennett, co-founder of BlueCore and author of 'A Brief History of Intelligence,' dives into the evolutionary foundations of cognition. He outlines five major breakthroughs that shaped human brains and explores how these principles can inform AI development. The conversation touches on the parallels between biological and artificial intelligence, the role of neurotransmitters in decision-making, and the implications of trial and error learning. Max seamlessly connects neuroscience with AI, providing intriguing insights into the future of intelligent systems.

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INSIGHT

Breakthroughs in Evolution

Understanding the five major breakthroughs in evolution reveals the development of human cognition and brain functionality. These insights shed light on the differences between biological and artificial intelligence systems.

ANECDOTE

Max's Journey

Max Bennett's curiosity about the differences between AI and human intelligence led him to correspond with neuroscientists. His self-education and collaboration ultimately resulted in the publication of his book.

ADVICE

Focus on Incremental Learning

AI models should incorporate mechanisms for continual learning to update their knowledge without losing previous information. This could enhance their adaptability and effectiveness over time.

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In this episode, Nathan sits down with Max Bennett, author of the book: A Brief History of Intelligence. They discuss the five major breakthroughs in evolution that resulted in human brains and cognition. They delve deeper into the workings of each breakthrough, the evolution of intelligence, and how AI can benefit from understanding these principles. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://shopify.com/cognitive for a $1/month trial period.

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

LINKS:

A Brief History of Intelligence: https://a.co/d/6VPWTf7

SPONSORS:

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X/SOCIAL:

@labenz (Nathan)

@maxsbennett (Max)

@CogRev_Podcast

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(06:00) Max's background on commercializing AI in technology

(09:53) AI has taught us a lot of our intuitions are wrong

(11:22) Why we're better off avoiding defining intelligence

(14:38) The Five Breakthrough Model - steering, reinforcing, simulating, mentalizing, and speaking

(15:43) Sponsor - Brave Search API | Shopify

(18:20) The story of the first breakthrough - Steering

(21:40) Evolution doesn't have forethought and every generation has to survive

(23:05) The study of nematodes - how did this first brain emerge?

(27:10) yet in bilaterians, but the idea is you classify things in the world into good and bad.

(33:00) Netsuite by Oracle | Omneky

(36:16) The story of the second breakthrough - Reinforcing

(1:32:44) The story of the fourth breakthrough - Mentalizing

(1:45:57) The story of the fourth breakthrough - Speaking (pls listen to the audio book / read the book)

(1:46:46) How evolutionary paradigms will shape up in the future

(1:55:03) A unified theory of value or moral patienthood that can be applied to the five breakthroughs

(1:59:21) Wrap + Sponsor | Omneky

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.