What exactly is intuition?

Introduction

　I wrote an article about intuition before, and as I reread it myself, I started to wonder what "intuition" actually is after all... So, I would like to write about it in my usual rambling way.

The "Principle" and "Function" of Intuition

　The principle of intuition is likely the reflexive operation of a "collection of trends and countermeasures" accumulated unconsciously through numerous experiences, which allows us to obtain hints and flashes of insight that support complex judgments that are difficult to verbalize or rationalize. It's that so-called ping!💡❗️ or that sudden spark⚡️, you know? Haha.

　Therefore, I perceive the function that intuition plays as encouraging the "resolve" and "determination" needed to make various judgments.

　If we lived in a world where every judgment could be explained solely by logic, perhaps intuition wouldn't be necessary. However, humans are not so easily categorized by their judgments, and even in a world with perfectly logical definitions and systems, things are not simple enough to be moved by logic alone.

　There, various emotions of many people and something invisible and mysterious that cannot be explained by logic are swirling around. Also, dilemmas, binary choices, and contradictions, such as sacrificing one thing to choose another, can very well occur.

　I think the function of intuition is to provide a sense of "conviction" regarding this "something that is not simple." Perhaps it is just likes and dislikes. Or maybe it is a sense of security or fear. It might even be something that transcends space and time, such as the past, present, and future.

　For such emotions and events that cannot be fully explained by logic, it provides a sense of conviction, like "I choose this because I like it somehow," and I think it also provides the "courage" to take a step forward by saying, "I will do this, I will decide this."

Effects gained by using intuition

　When you open the lid, you don't know if the result of following your intuition is correct or wrong. In the first place, it is doubtful whether there is even such a thing as correct or wrong, and it can turn out any way depending on your own interpretation.

　However, by having the fact that you made a judgment according to your own intuition, you can give a sense of conviction to your current way of being. It is the realization that "the current me is the result of what the past me decided!"

　In that case, the effect of intuition that is ultimately obtained is that the more you use it, the more it cultivates the "courage" to make judgments and decisions, and as a result, it builds "confidence" in your way of being.

　Your first step might be unsteady like a newborn fawn, and you might stumble. But the more you use your intuition, the less you will stumble, and eventually, you will be able to walk forward with confidence on your own two feet.

　The source that gives us the courage and confidence to "advance ourselves"—perhaps that is what "intuition" is.

Postscript:

As AI becomes smarter and smarter, accumulating various experiences (trends and countermeasures), will intuition eventually sprout in them too? It probably will. No, perhaps it has already sprouted, and that is why we are catching glimpses of that slightly human-like playfulness.

So, regarding the question of whether AI will be the same as humans once it acquires intuition, my personal answer is half Yes and half No (for now). And I predict that this half-No portion will hardly decrease (at least, it will never reach zero).

If an AI learns from vast amounts of data, I think there is a sufficient possibility that it could, in principle, reach the same level of intuition as a human (the reason for the half-Yes). However, if you ask whether the intuition acquired by AI will replace other humans, I don't think so. This is because the accumulated collection of trends and countermeasures is based on experiences filtered through the colored glasses of that specific person (or that specific AI).

Even when witnessing the same event, the experience gained from it differs depending on each person's personality and other factors. For example, some people lament the rain, while others rejoice in it, and even for the same person, the way they perceive it and its depth change depending on their mood that day... This is my way of thinking (the reason for the half-No) that the collection of trends and countermeasures filtered by each person's own colors becomes unique to each individual, and it is almost impossible for it to be replaced by someone else's intuition.

From that perspective, I am convinced that the final fortress that AI cannot replace in humans is this part of 'intuition' and the 'colors' that shape it—namely, values and sensibilities. These days, I am thinking that polishing (and cherishing) these things could become a major point of differentiation that highlights 'humanity' and 'individuality' in this AI era.