Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke Michael Levin on the intelligence of life| Living Mirrors #124
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Jan 30, 2024 
Michael Levin, a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University, co-discovered Xenobots and focuses on regenerative medicine. He explores how intelligence might transcend traditional notions by merging neuroscience and philosophy. Levin discusses bioelectricity's role in collective intelligence and unveils amazing regenerative capabilities in organisms like planaria. The conversation also delves into the ethical implications of these discoveries, pushing the boundaries of our understanding of life and consciousness.
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Intelligence as Adaptive Competency
- Intelligence is usefully defined as competency to achieve the same goal by different means, not limited to neural computation.
- This cybernetic view supports interacting with agents based on their level of cognitive utility.
Test Systems for True Intelligence
- The right level of interaction depends on the system's agency and cannot be assumed philosophically.
- Testing interaction efficacy reveals true intelligence, e.g., trying to train weather is impractical unlike living beings.
Match Interaction to Intelligence
- To communicate effectively with complex systems, find the right level of interaction matching their intelligence.
- Treating high-level beings like simple machines causes ethical and practical failures.
