Intelligence requires prediction. No unconscious physical or biological systems

Intelligence requires prediction.

No unconscious physical or biological systems can predict even if they determine narrower and narrower fields of precision by discovery of niches. Instead, they operate by trial and error, making use of the information that is provided by the hierarchy of components, assemblies, ensembles at all scales.

So instead these systems do not calculate, they only compute trial and error, and capture and record in their organization a record of successes that provided an advantage. I”m not a fan of using false analogies in the sciences, unless to provide a pathway to a less intuitive terminology. It’s where pop pseudoscience and nonsense comes from.

So no, intelligence requires memory, prediction, and choice. Given memory, prediction, and choice, intelligence transcends mere reaction, which is typically automatic and unthinking, driven by innate or conditioned responses. Instead, intelligence embodies the capacity to learn from the past, anticipate the future, and make decisions that reflect an understanding of the broader context and one’s objectives within it.

This definition of intelligence emphasizes its role in enabling adaptive, goal-directed behavior.

It is the mechanism by which beings navigate the world not just based on what has happened to them, but on what they envision could happen and how they decide to influence those outcomes.

Intelligence, therefore, is not merely about responding to the environment but about understanding, anticipating, and shaping it through informed choices.