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Artificial Intelligence
What Does It Mean to Be Intelligent Today?
How AI and LLMs are changing the way we "think" about being smart.
Posted November 29, 2024 Reviewed by Abigail Fagan
Key points
- Collaboration, adaptability, creativity, ethics, and connection are human traits amplified by AI and LLMs.
- LLMs shift AI from a tool to a partner, reshaping how we think, create, and amplify human potential.
- A 'technology quotient' offers a framework to understand how we think, create, and learn with AI.
In 2017, I explored the concept of Technology Quotient (TQ) as a measure of our ability to navigate the evolving digital world. The conversation was centered on a dichotomy: technology’s battle between IQ and EQ. Back then—a technological lifetime ago—TQ was framed as a way to capture our capacity to understand, interact with, and thrive in an increasingly technical society—a society still dominated by hardware, software, and user engagement.
Fast forward to today, and the world has shifted significantly. Large Language Models have reshaped the technological and human landscape, pushing us beyond my former perspective on TQ. These tools blur the lines between intellect, emotion, and creativity. They are not just technical systems we operate; they are collaborators that amplify human potential and even thought.
In light of these changes, it’s time to revisit and redefine my earlier thinking about TQ—not as a battle between IQ and EQ, but as a multidimensional framework that captures the symbiosis between humans and AI. This new TQ reflects the skills and literacies required to thrive in a world where technology is not just a tool, but an extension of our cognitive and even our emotional capabilities.
The Pillars of TQ in the Age of LLMs
1. Collaborative Intelligence: Partnering Effectively with AI
The rise of LLMs has introduced a new dynamic: AI is no longer just a tool; it’s a partner. Collaborative Intelligence is about leveraging AI to co-create solutions, generate ideas, and tackle challenges that exceed individual or human-only capabilities.
This is more than technical proficiency—it’s the ability to have a cognitive 'dialogue' with AI, using it as an active participant in problem-solving. For example, a 'high TQ' can mean knowing how to ask the right questions, interpret AI-generated insights, and refine outputs collaboratively.
2. Cognitive Agility: Rapidly Adapting to New Tools and Reshaping Workflows Dynamically
If the digital world has taught us anything, it’s that change is constant. Cognitive Agility is the ability to adapt quickly to new technologies, seamlessly integrating them into workflows while staying ahead of the curve.
This is not just about technical competence; it’s about mental flexibility—knowing when and how to use tools like LLMs to amplify efficiency. It also includes the capacity to pivot when a technology becomes obsolete or requires reframing
3. Creative Amplification: Using LLMs to Enhance Creativity Rather Than Replace It
One of the most transformative aspects of LLMs is their ability to amplify human creativity. Creative Amplification is the skill of using AI not as a substitute for imagination but as a catalyst for it.
With a high TQ in this area, individuals harness AI to generate ideas, explore new possibilities, and refine their creative output. It’s not about delegating creativity—it’s about elevating it.
4. Ethical Literacy: Navigating the Implications of AI-Driven Systems
As technology becomes more integrated into decision-making, ethical questions loom larger. Ethical Literacy is the ability to critically assess the implications of AI, ensuring systems are transparent, fair, and accountable.
This dimension of TQ emphasizes navigating biases in AI, understanding the social and cultural impacts of technology, and making decisions that prioritize humanity over efficiency. A strong TQ in this area means being able to ask: Is this ethical? Is it fair? And is it aligned with human values?
5. Emotional-AI Connection: Understanding and Leveraging AI’s Role in Social and Emotional Contexts
Technology often feels cold and impersonal, but LLMs have begun to change that. Emotional-AI Connection is about understanding and leveraging AI’s role in fostering empathy, communication, and social engagement.
High TQ here means being able to use AI to enhance human connections rather than detract from them—whether through empathetic customer service or AI tools that support mental health and emotional well-being.
From Battle to Balance: The TQ Shift
In my original exploration of TQ, I framed the conversation as a battle between IQ and EQ, with technology attempting to balance the two. Today, I see TQ as something entirely different: a framework for integration, not opposition. The new TQ—perhaps even as a dimensionalization of Intelligence Quotient itself—is about collaboration, agility, creativity, ethics, and connection—a multidimensional approach that reflects how humans and AI can work together to achieve more than either could alone.
Our Future of TQ
As we think into the Cognitive Age, TQ offers an interesting framework for understanding the evolving relationship between humans and AI. It’s not a test or a score—it’s a way to reflect on how we think, create, and learn in an AI-enhanced world. This framework illuminates the shifts happening in education, healthcare, business, and the arts, where human-AI collaboration is becoming essential.
The question isn’t how to measure TQ, but how to use it to adapt and thrive. As LLMs advance, TQ evolves alongside them, helping us explore new ways of thinking and creating while staying grounded in what makes us fundamentally human.
