Questioning the very essence of intelligence means tackling an idea that is as familiar as it is intangible. The term seems self-evident, almost intuitive, and yet it defies simple definition. Is intelligence the ability to reason, understand, and invent? Or is it a more subtle combination of cognitive, social, and creative abilities? These are difficult questions, because the very definition of the concept is embedded in a specific historical and social context, which shapes what a society chooses to recognize and value as a mark of intelligence. So how do we go about answering them? Let’s take a closer look.
The hegemony of logico-mathematical intelligence
Let’s start with a definition by Merriam-Webster, which describes intelligence as “the ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations; mental acuteness; comprehension or knowledge; information or news.” So, intelligence can be the ability to analyze and the capacity to make connections.
It is also commonly accepted that intelligence implies a certain speed of cognitive processing: intelligent people are thought to think faster. In everyday language, many expressions link intelligence and speed. Saying that someone is “quick-witted” or describing them as “fast” is considered a compliment and a sign of intelligence.
If we retain this definition centered on performance and speed, a question arises almost mechanically: what happens when systems capable of absorbing and analyzing gigantic volumes of information in record time come into play? Generative AI models, for example, trained on massive corpora (500 billion words and 175 billion parameters for ChatGPT 3 alone—Ed), precisely illustrate this ability to process and reproduce information at a speed that humans cannot possibly match. But it would be oversimplifying things to simplify intelligence as just thinking speed.
Intelligence: multiple forms
If there is anything positive to come from the impact of AI, it is that we are now pushed to re-evaluate the supremacy of logico-mathematical intelligence, long considered a benchmark, in favor of a broader vision of human skills. Cognitive psychologist Howard Gardner, professor of neurology in Boston and teacher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, posits that there is not one intelligence, but several independent forms. In his work Frames of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligences published in 1983, the psychologist mentions six other forms of intelligence:
1. Linguistic intelligence
That’s the ability to handle words with finesse: to argue, to convince, to tell a story, to transmit. It also includes the ability to learn other languages, and with them, other frameworks of thought, since changing languages often means changing perspectives. Lawyers, by virtue of their ability to convince others through discourse, are striking examples of this.
2. Interpersonal intelligence
Announcing difficult news, for example, is not just about sharing facts, but also about choosing the right moment and tone. This relational dimension defies any purely statistical logic. And that is precisely where the added value of the doctor, or any healthcare professional, lies, compared to an algorithmic system. Not only in their medical knowledge but also in the way they humanize information and care for patients.
3. Intrapersonal intelligence
This is the ability to know yourself and recognize your emotions, understand what motivates you, recognize your limits and strengths. This inner clarity improves how you make decisions, how you regulate your reactions and, paradoxically, how you interact with others. Without self-awareness, exercising sound judgment is no easy task.
4. Visual-spatial intelligence
This is the ability to mentally visualize, manipulate and reason about objects, shapes and space. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence have a good sense of direction and imagination. Architects, pilots, and engineers use this ability to transform mental ideas into concrete achievements.
5. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
This type of intelligence is the ability to move your body with precision, coordination, and intention. It is not just about physical skill, but a true intelligence of movement where each person uses movement to create and express. Dancers, actors, athletes, and artisans are examples of this kind of intelligence.
6. Musical intelligence
Complementary to bodily intelligence, this refers to a sense of rhythm and a person’s ability to produce music that evokes feeling. Music is not solely a matter of technique or hitting the right notes, as artists who can send shivers down our spine or move us to tears so eloquently demonstrate.
A new project for our society
AI can give the illusion of embodying certain forms of intelligence, particularly logico-mathematical or even sometimes linguistic. It allows us to reduce potential errors. But let’s not forget, as social innovation expert Marie Donzel reminds us: artificial intelligence “is trained on human data, therefore nourished by our own productions, our ways of doing, speaking, thinking, and arguing.” So, the fundamental difference may not be in raw performance, but in our ability, as human beings, to simultaneously mobilize several forms of intelligence, to put them together and apply them to contexts, emotions, according to our personal histories and experiences.
The real question, therefore, may not be whether humans or machines are more efficient. That’s not the point. According to Marie Donzel, “it touches on the hegemony of a reductive vision of intelligence, centered almost exclusively on reasoning.” For far too long, logico-mathematical intelligence has dominated our evaluation criteria: grades, rankings and even IQ tests. But is that really what we want to continue to value?
Going beyond performance requires shifting perspectives. As Marie Donzel points out, “we shouldn’t be placing value on who can produce the fastest deliverable or make the fewest errors. We should be valuing those who know how to work with others, those who are always learning and calling themselves into question.” In other words, someone who understands that a project is a collective adventure before it is a result.
There’s one unmistakable clue to finding that person. According to the World Economic Forum, among the professions least threatened by automation are those that require care and connection. A hairdresser, for example, does not just cut hair; they welcome, listen, and advise. They have a strong symbolic responsibility because they have power over your appearance, your image and sometimes even your self-confidence. Wouldn’t it be difficult to entrust that to a machine? Not because it couldn’t replicate the techniques, but because the human experience is about more than just getting the job done.
So, what conception of intelligence do we want to promote? Intelligence reduced to optimization and speed? Or intelligence that can tap into relationships and responsibilities? As AI is forcing us to take a second look at how we view intelligence, this debate goes far beyond the simple dichotomy of man/machine and becomes a societal choice.
