AI Practice Knowledge BaseCounterintuitive Facts (33): Why Does a Group of Smart People Become One Idiot?
PremiumEmergence: The whole is not equal to the sum of parts, the whole is an entirely new monster
I. Observe a colony of ants. A single ant is incredibly stupid, can only "follow the scent ahead." Its CPU can probably only process two commands: "find food" and "return to nest." You can easily crush it with your finger.
II. But a million stupid ants gathered together. They can build precisely complex anthills. With ventilation systems, garbage disposal areas, larvae nurseries. They wage war, attacking other ant colonies. They farm fungi, store food. They build living bridges for companions to cross. Who is this "super intelligent entity"?
III. There is no "who." There's no "queen" commanding everything. The queen only lays eggs. No single ant knows the anthill's overall design. But the anthill just "emerged" on its own. This is Emergence. The whole exhibits properties that parts don't h
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