Enhancing Individual Intelligence Degree

Enhancing an individual’s intelligence degree is a challenging process because an intelligent agent cannot fully perceive the intelligence of an agent with a higher intelligence degree. I define the process of an intelligent agent optimizing its behavior under fixed external information, network structure, and algorithmic forms, without changing its intelligence degree, as the manifestation of intelligence degree. Based on the analysis of intelligence degree in the “Definition of Intelligence Degree” section—“the adaptability of an intelligent agent to the external environment”—this optimization is merely the process of achieving environmental coherence without changing intelligence degree (i.e., adaptability remains constant). Only when an intelligent agent optimizes its external information structure, information sources, network structure, or algorithmic forms can its intelligence degree be considered substantively improved, which can be termed an enhancement of adaptability.

Douglas Hofstadter has repeatedly mentioned in his book that a robot cannot produce or upgrade itself without external forces, nor can a computer program fix its own bugs. In these cases, an intelligent agent requires external forces to complete its iterative upgrades, including optimized external information input, more advanced operational logic, and more optimized network structures or algorithmic solutions.

Some might counter this with the example of AlphaGo’s improvement in Go, suggesting it can continually progress. While AlphaGo can indeed improve its Go-playing skills, it does not enhance its intelligence degree; it merely follows a predetermined path to achieve its goals more effectively, which aligns with the aforementioned “coherence process.” In my view, playing Go better does not reflect an increase in AlphaGo’s intelligence degree; it is simply the intelligent program manifesting its expected intelligence under existing algorithmic forms, network structures, and input information. If a bricklayer is placed in an environment A, completely isolated from external information, and tasked with laying bricks according to rules that reward higher efficiency, the bricklayer will indeed become more skilled at bricklaying. However, if the bricklayer has been isolated from all external information since birth and environment A cannot provide feedback on skills like programming or embroidery, the bricklayer cannot develop those skills. They cannot reflect on bricklaying from a higher dimension or understand the world from a broader perspective, making this a typical case where intelligence degree cannot improve without external intervention.

Thus, external factors are a prerequisite for enhancing an individual’s intelligence degree. Reading more books, engaging with diverse social phenomena, and visiting new places expose individuals to external factors beyond their original environment. Through continuous thinking, comparison, trial and error, and summarization, the intelligence degree can gradually improve.