Great talk! Probably, we should distinguish "high level" intelligence and "low level" intelligence (the standard for this could be ambiguous, though we have many examples for the side of high-level intelligence). I think "low level" intelligence might not require language (Octopus example). But this does not mean that even for high-level tasks (probably require "high-level" intelligence, we don't expect Octopus can create laptop or something). Like one of questioner continuously debated, I think "high-level" intelligence must include "language". Can you imagine that some aliens who built spaceship or high technologies, BUT there is no language between them? At least I can't. It could be possible that the form of language might be different like using telepathy or ultrasonic wave or something else (Dolphins has a language but with a different form to Human) but anyway, high-level intelligence requires language. Language is a definitely efficient tool to broaden your WORLD. Without language, or some efficient ways to define objects and interact, create through all combinations of objects, we may never achieve some high-level intelligence (I believe language helps Human efficiently organize every embodiment coming from interaction of the WORLD so that finally Human can come up with high-level intelligence)
About the closing remark: Training in a simulation with 1 billion trials might not be so far off from nature’s ability (to have babies learn to walk) as the professor suggests. I would argue that nature has also had to go through a billion trials from evolution. Each new life starts with all of that instinct “pre-trained”, if you will.
Great talk! Probably, we should distinguish "high level" intelligence and "low level" intelligence (the standard for this could be ambiguous, though we have many examples for the side of high-level intelligence). I think "low level" intelligence might not require language (Octopus example). But this does not mean that even for high-level tasks (probably require "high-level" intelligence, we don't expect Octopus can create laptop or something). Like one of questioner continuously debated, I think "high-level" intelligence must include "language". Can you imagine that some aliens who built spaceship or high technologies, BUT there is no language between them? At least I can't. It could be possible that the form of language might be different like using telepathy or ultrasonic wave or something else (Dolphins has a language but with a different form to Human) but anyway, high-level intelligence requires language. Language is a definitely efficient tool to broaden your WORLD. Without language, or some efficient ways to define objects and interact, create through all combinations of objects, we may never achieve some high-level intelligence (I believe language helps Human efficiently organize every embodiment coming from interaction of the WORLD so that finally Human can come up with high-level intelligence)
About the closing remark: Training in a simulation with 1 billion trials might not be so far off from nature’s ability (to have babies learn to walk) as the professor suggests. I would argue that nature has also had to go through a billion trials from evolution. Each new life starts with all of that instinct “pre-trained”, if you will.
The game should add a new level called 'The Freebie Wonderland' for us hack users.