Meaning - Based Natural Intelligence Vs . Information - Based Artificial Intelligence

In this chapter, we reflect on the concept of Meaning-Based Natural Intelligence a fundamental trait of Life shared by all organisms, from bacteria to humans, associated with: semantic and pragmatic communication, assignment and generation of meaning, formation of self-identity and of associated identity (i.e., of the group the individual belongs to), identification of natural intelligence, intentional behavior, decision-making and intentionally designed self-alterations. These features place the Meaning-Based natural Intelligence beyond the realm of Information-based Artificial Intelligence. Hence, organisms are beyond man-made pre-designed machinery and are distinguishable from non-living systems. Our chain of reasoning begins with the simple distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic contextual causations for acquiring intelligence. The first, associated with natural intelligence, is required for the survival of the organism (the biotic system) that generates it. In contrast, artificial intelligence is implemented externally to fulfill a purpose for the benefit of the organism that engineered the “Intelligent Machinery”. We explicitly propose that the ability to assign contextual meaning to externally gathered information is an essential requirement for survival, as it gives the organism the freedom of contextual decision-making. By contextual, we mean relating to the external and internal states of the organism and the internally stored ontogenetic knowledge it has generated. We present the view that contextual interpretation of information and consequent decision-making are two fundamentals of natural intelligence that any living creature must have.