What is the Unit of Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence, Relational Ethics and the Earth System

TY - JOUR

T1 - What is the Unit of Intelligence?

T2 - Artificial Intelligence, Relational Ethics and the Earth System

AU - Skene, Keith R.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/11/20

Y1 - 2025/11/20

N2 - Given the multitude of challenges facing humanity at present, an understanding of how the Earth system works and responds to perturbation is central to our prospects. The interconnections between the components of the Earth system, and the role of technology, are understood within this broader context. This paper first examines what a living being represents, before exploring human identity and human intelligence. The concept of more-than-human is explored, along with the historical development of dualism in human-nature relations. Indigenous concepts of identity and relationality are also expanded upon. The paper then assesses what intelligence model should be used in artificial intelligence, challenging the use of Western and Northern thinking, which has contributed to the unprecedented challenges facing the entire planet. Animal, plant and microbial intelligence are considered, before examining Earth system intelligence, focusing on key systems characteristics of emergence, non-linearity, self-organization, sub-optimality and real-time feedback. We explore the implications of these characteristics for artificial intelligence and set out a theory of relational technology, as a means of re-integrating humanity with the Earth system. We consider the ecological, social and economic pluriverse, and the importance of relational ethics, focusing on the gift economy as an example.

AB - Given the multitude of challenges facing humanity at present, an understanding of how the Earth system works and responds to perturbation is central to our prospects. The interconnections between the components of the Earth system, and the role of technology, are understood within this broader context. This paper first examines what a living being represents, before exploring human identity and human intelligence. The concept of more-than-human is explored, along with the historical development of dualism in human-nature relations. Indigenous concepts of identity and relationality are also expanded upon. The paper then assesses what intelligence model should be used in artificial intelligence, challenging the use of Western and Northern thinking, which has contributed to the unprecedented challenges facing the entire planet. Animal, plant and microbial intelligence are considered, before examining Earth system intelligence, focusing on key systems characteristics of emergence, non-linearity, self-organization, sub-optimality and real-time feedback. We explore the implications of these characteristics for artificial intelligence and set out a theory of relational technology, as a means of re-integrating humanity with the Earth system. We consider the ecological, social and economic pluriverse, and the importance of relational ethics, focusing on the gift economy as an example.

KW - Emergence

KW - Indigenous knowledge

KW - Non-linearity

KW - Relational ethics

KW - Sub-optimality

KW - Technology

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022657279

U2 - 10.1007/s11245-025-10329-7

DO - 10.1007/s11245-025-10329-7

M3 - Article

SN - 0167-7411

JO - Topoi

JF - Topoi

ER -