Final answer:
Differentiating between artificial intelligence and natural intelligence involves examining the characteristics and underpinnings of each, such as their approach to learning, consciousness, and intentionality. While AI operates based on algorithms and programming, NI emerges from biological processes and involves dynamic learning. Ethical considerations and the alignment with human values also distinguish AI from NI.
Step-by-step explanation:
To differentiate between artificial intelligence (AI) and natural intelligence (NI), we must move beyond their power sources and consider their underpinnings and characteristics. AI can be effectively defined as the simulation of human intelligence by machines programmed to mimic human thought and actions, but there are distinctions in how AI types approach this mimicry. One form is reactive machines, which have no memory and respond to situations in a predetermined way. Limited memory AI can make decisions using stored data, while theory of mind AI represents a future goal of understanding and forming relationships with humans. Finally, self-aware AI would contain human-like consciousness, a milestone unachieved in current technology.
Conversely, NI is emergent from the biological and evolutionary processes that have shaped human cognition and consciousness over millennia. Natural intelligence is characterized by self-awareness, consciousness, emotions, creativity, and a type of intentionality that AI, particularly in its current form, does not possess. While both AI and NI can 'learn', AI's learning is constrained by algorithms, data, and programming; whereas NI's learning involves a dynamic interplay between our genetic setup and our environment.
Philosophers of mind contend that strong AI, which would somewhat mirror NI, has not been realized; AI lacks the subjective experiences and qualia that characterize human consciousness. The concerns raised by industry leaders and philosophers, such as the potential for AI to operate without aligning with human values and the unpredictable consequences of algorithmic biases, underline the inherent differences between artificial and natural intelligences and the ethical considerations that arise from these differences.