
Riskgaming
The Orthogonal Bet: Exploring the history of intelligence
Oct 30, 2024
Max Bennett, a co-founder of multiple AI companies and author of "A Brief History of Intelligence," delves into the evolution of intelligence and its complexities. He discusses the differences between human and machine memory systems and the limitations of large language models in understanding real-world contexts. The conversation also explores how language fosters social bonds and the challenges of simulating curiosity in AI. Bennett shares insights from his research and the positive reception of his book in the fields of AI and neuroscience.
45:13
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Quick takeaways
- Max Bennett emphasizes the role of curiosity in understanding intelligence, tracing it back to the concepts within Moravec's Paradox.
- The podcast discusses five evolutionary breakthroughs that illustrate how intelligence has developed through shared algorithms across species rather than in isolation.
Deep dives
The Origins of Curiosity and Intelligence
The speaker discusses how curiosity is at the core of understanding intelligence, tracing its roots to Moravec's Paradox. This paradox highlights the complexity of tasks that come naturally to humans, like movement, compared to those easily accomplished by machines, such as fast calculations. Max Bennett shares his journey of exploring the brain's inner workings out of a passion for answering complex questions regarding intelligence. As he delved deeper into neuroscience, he realized that many experts were entrenched in their specific areas, prompting him to collaborate theoretically and practically with neuroscientists to explore evolutionary breakthroughs.