An expert on mind considers how animals and smart machines measure up to human intelligence.
Octopuses can open jars to get food and chimpanzees can plan for the future. An IBM computer
named Watson won on Jeopardy! and Alexa knows our favorite songs. But do animals and smart
machines really have intelligence comparable to that of humans? In Bots and Beasts Paul
Thagard looks at how computers (bots) and animals measure up to the minds of people offering
the first systematic comparison of intelligence across machines animals and humans. Thagard
explains that human intelligence is more than IQ and encompasses such features as problem
solving decision making and creativity. He uses a checklist of twenty characteristics of
human intelligence to evaluate the smartest machines--including Watson AlphaZero virtual
assistants and self-driving cars--and the most intelligent animals--including octopuses dogs
dolphins bees and chimpanzees. Neither a romantic enthusiast for nonhuman intelligence nor a
skeptical killjoy Thagard offers a clear assessment. He discusses hotly debated issues about
animal intelligence concerning bacterial consciousness fish pain and dog jealousy. He
evaluates the plausibility of achieving human-level artificial intelligence and considers
ethical and policy issues. A full appreciation of human minds reveals that current bots and
beasts fall far short of human capabilities.
