In this discussion, we’ll be delving into Blaise Agüera y Arcas’ groundbreaking book, What is Intelligence? — a bold exploration of one of humanity’s oldest questions at the intersection of neuroscience, evolution, and artificial intelligence.

What does it mean to be intelligent?

Can a machine think? And if so, what does that reveal about life itself?

Agüera y Arcas challenges conventional thinking, proposing that intelligence is fundamentally about prediction. From molecules to humans, societies, and AI, he presents a unified vision in which the brain—and life itself—is designed to anticipate the future. In this framework, the startling capabilities of modern AI are not anomalies but natural consequences of evolution’s predictive engine.

Drawing on insights from neuroscience, machine learning, physics, biology, and philosophy, the book examines intelligence in its many forms. It tackles profound questions: How do living systems compute and model reality? What is the relationship between prediction, consciousness, and free will?…