“AI is not like human intelligence at all—it thinks about the world differently” Our understanding of intelligence mostly refers to a human understanding of it—meaning intelligence is generally whatever humans do. This limited view has been imposed to judge if other species can be seen as intelligent, too. The problem is that this narrow and human-centered understanding of intelligence might ignore other forms of intelligence. Intelligence is about relationships and exists in interactions with others’ worlds. It is time to rethink and reintegrate our relation with the world. Our view of intelligence colors how we see the world.

What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it uniquely human, or shared with other beings—animals, plants, machines? As AI advances, it becomes a strange, even alien force, challenging our place in the world. Meanwhile, other intelligences—natural systems we’ve overlooked—reveal their agency and complexity. In Ways of Being, James Bridle explores these intelligences through biology, physics, and art, urging us to rethink our technologies and societies for a more equitable coexistence with the nonhuman world. Bold and thought-provoking, it’s essential for our survival.