The Value of Natural General Intelligence in Data Science

With everyone in A.I. feeling the need to have an opinion or even a stance on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), we often neglect the source of this concept. Namely, the well-rounded intelligence that characterizes a human being, having all kinds of smarts. The latter I refer to as Natural General Intelligence (NGI) and someone can argue that it's as important if not more important than AGI, at least in this point in time, particularly to data science professionals.

But isn’t this kind of intelligence another name for genius? Not necessarily. NGI is modeled after the human being in general even if its artificial counterpart (AGI) is often linked to super-intelligence, a kind of supergenius that may characterize an A.I. that has developed this level of intelligence. Still, it is possible to have NGI without being a modern Leonardo DaVinci or a Benjamin Franklin.

Natural General Intelligence is all about enabling your mind to develop in different aspects, not merely the ones that you need for your vocation or the ones that were essential for your survival so far. This idea is not new and has been popular during the Renaissance. Even today we use the term "Renaissance Man" to refer to the individual who is well-rounded in his or her life and can be good at different things. In this era of overspecialization, this seems to be a Utopian endeavor, at least to some people. In reality, however, it isn't. If you want to learn a musical instrument, for example, there are plenty of courses and books you can leverage, while there are even music instructors who can teach you over the internet. As for the instruments themselves, they are far more affordable than they used to be while for certain instruments, the prices continue to drop due to high demand. However, more important than developing one’s musical aptitude is the growth of one’s emotional intelligence (EQ), particularly interpersonal skills.

What does all this have to do with data science? Well, in data science it’s easy to overspecialize too (e.g. in Machine Learning, Data Engineering, NLP, etc.). However, this creates artificial barriers which may render communication with other data professionals more challenging. Of course, more often than not these issues are alleviated through a competent data science lead or a manager with sufficient data science understanding. Still, if you as a data science professional can mitigate the need for external intervention when it comes to collaborating with others, that’s definitely a plus. Not just in terms of smoothing the professional relationships involved, but also in terms of business value. Stand-alone professionals are very sought after since such people tend to be (or quickly become) assets. In time, these professionals can grow into versatilists and/or assume leadership positions.

From all this, it is hopefully clear that Natural General Intelligence is more tangible and significantly more feasible than any other kind of advanced intelligence capable of yielding value in an organization. What's more, an individual with NGI is bound to be more relate-able and accountable, rendering the whole team he/she belongs to a more functional unit. Perhaps such a goal is more beneficial than the blind pursuit of some exotic kind of A.I. that can solve all of our problems. The latter is intriguing and worth investigating, but I wouldn't bet on it benefiting the average Joe any time soon!