Matt Ridley (What to think about machines that think)

Matt Ridley emphasizes the transformative power of collective, collaborative, and distributed intelligence over individual thinking in the context of machines that think. He points out that the genius of human intelligence lies in the ability to connect and collaborate with thousands of different people, even though no single individual knows how to create complex products like a pencil. This concept of exchange and specialization, facilitated by networking and cooperation, is what has propelled human civilization forward.

Ridley also speculates about the potential of collective intelligence in other species, such as dolphins, octopi, or crows, if their brains were networked in a similar way to human societies. He argues that the connecting of human brains into networks, through the division of labor, has been the key to human progress and technological advancement.

Furthermore, Ridley suggests that machine intelligence’s greatest impact will occur when machines themselves collaborate within networks, rather than just within individual machines. He notes that the internet already demonstrates the power of networked machine intelligence, and he sees potential in technologies like blockchain, used in cryptocurrencies, as pathways to more advanced forms of machine intelligence.

In summary, Ridley underscores the importance of collective intelligence, networking, and collaboration in human progress and hints at the potential of similar principles in machine intelligence, particularly within interconnected systems and networks.

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