Superhuman IQ [Space/Spaceships/Ultratech]

[AlexanderHowl]

When constructing megastructures, it is quite easy for the governing intelligence to have superhuman intelligence (IQ 21+). At TL12, superhuman intelligence can be supported by a SM+16 spacecraft (though it is taking up half the processing power), though superhuman intelligence is more likely with a SM+18 spacecraft (where it would only take up 5% of the processing power). When we are discussing planetary scale minds (SM+38 or higher), the governing intelligence could easily reach IQ 42+ (using only 5% of processing power).

The problem with entities of that level of intelligence is that there is more of a difference between their intelligence and average human intelligence than average human intelligence and average ant intelligence. In fact, an IQ 42 AI would likely a IQ 32 AI as an ant, who would see an IQ 22 AI as an ant, who would see an IQ 12 human as an ant, which is humbling. My question is, how do you actually portray an entity that is so intelligent that it should be impossible for humans to understand their thinking?

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

The problem with entities of that level of intelligence is that there is more of a difference between their intelligence and average human intelligence than average human intelligence and average ant intelligence.

I'm not sure this is true, or at least I'm not sure it means much. Certainly, there is a greater difference in GURPS intelligence score, but there is also a greater difference in GURPS intelligence score between an Intelligence 15 very clever chap and an Intelligence 10 average chap than between that average chap and an Intelligence 6 chimpanzee.

EDIT: So an Intelligence 21 galactabrain would impress geniuses the way geniuses impress the rest of us, but, absent traits to represent qualitative differences, it could be argued that this need not imply it is a completely different order of being.

[Tyneras]

You don't. The god-mind puts together an IQ 10 sub program with 10 levels in a social talent to talk to you.

On a side note, GURPS IQ doesn't really track well outside the human range since it includes "general knowledge" which means you could have something with the intelligence of a dog and near omniscient information archives and a completely ignorant hyper intelligence with no ability to learn represented by the same IQ.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by ravenfish

EDIT: So an Intelligence 21 galactabrain would impress geniuses the way geniuses impress the rest of us, but, absent traits to represent qualitative differences, it could be argued that this need not imply it is a completely different order of being.

Agreed.

(Note that super-IQ characters, machine or not, may differ from most recognized human geniuses due to the omnicompetence of IQ. Having 18+ in IQ plus a talent covering IQ based skills is probably sufficient for a person to be considered a genius but doesn't mean that they have professional levels in almost all job skills by default like outright IQ 18+ does.)

One of the popular 'godlike mind' thresholds for people who like to write about that sort of thing is a mind that is able to completely model and predict a human-level mind, and do so faster than realtime. Thereby knowing what the mere mortals will say, do, and think before they do. This has some plausibility issues, since accurate prediction of many systems requires not only powerful models and computational power, but also comprehensive data on initial conditions. When that's addressed at all it's sometimes via having the subject uploaded (typically with physically impossible nanotech, emphasizing high transhuman themes and physical technological power) and sometimes by the mind being able to infer everything it needs to know from looking at accessible records of the subject's life (a bit of a misanthropic approach - though stories being stories it's not unlikely that it will turn out that the models then fail at the critical moment).

Of course, in reality humans generally can't pull off that level of superiority against lower animals, even insects and the like. Our ability to forecast other minds is useful against both lesser and peer intelligence, but it's not prophetic.

[Flyndaran]

There's also a disturbing amount of randomness in even our most life affecting decisions that would be impossible for any genius to fully predict.

[AlexanderHowl]

A Complexity 25 computer could run billions of simulations for the entire galaxy simultaneously, so I am not sure what they could or could not predict.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

A Complexity 25 computer could run billions of simulations for the entire galaxy simultaneously, so I am not sure what they could or could not predict.

That doesn't make them smart in and of itself, however. Nor does it guarantee that the simulations produce anything useful - without perfect input, their output becomes questionable.

Also, in game mechanics terms, none of those computers think that much faster than a human - Enhanced Time Sense is available, but Altered Time Rate is not. ETS doesn't grant advantages for faster thought processes over the long term, so it's not that useful for out-thinking humans outside of combat time.

Also note that UT doesn't give Computers past Megacomputers, which cap out at Complexity 15 (TL12, Genius), C16 if FTL is an allowable option. Spaceships caps at C13, and anything past that is an extrapolation and it's just as reasonable to assume it caps at the same point UT does as to assume it's uncapped.

One thing with GURPS' rules for AI programs is that the there's quite a tight range of complexities between 'useless' and 'superhuman', because of the +2IQ/complexity scaling rate.

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

A Complexity 25 computer could run billions of simulations for the entire galaxy simultaneously, so I am not sure what they could or could not predict.

Their predictive ability is unlikely to be limited by processing power, but will still be constrained by ability to determine starting conditions. To make arbitrarily long-term weather predictions, you need ever more precise knowledge of initial air patterns, until eventually you would need to know the exact position and velocity of every molecule in the atmosphere, which isn't within the realm of practical politics- and that's without those blasted butterflies butting in. Human neurology may well be similarly chaotic.


[I also recall an amusing quote from somewhere or the other: anyone who thinks that superior intelligence provides the ability to persuade the less intelligent to desired behavior has never tried to get a five year old to do something.]

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

A Complexity 25 computer could run billions of simulations for the entire galaxy simultaneously, so I am not sure what they could or could not predict.

So it would know every way I could react, but still have no idea which one of them is how I will in this universe.

[AlexanderHowl]

Humans tend to be creatures of habit. While there might be a 10% chance of a different reaction than the past, most people are rather predictable. They order the same food, they drink the same sodas, they date the same type of people, etc.