For the ancient Greeks, there was not just one form of intelligence, but two main definitions: logos and metis. Logos is considered the most abstract form of intelligence, e.g., rational thought for Plato, the law of the universe for Heraclitus.
Metis, on the other hand, is a form of intelligence that relates to abilities to propose specific and practical solutions, thus also involving skill and cunning, flexibility and adaptability.
Artificial Intelligence has enormous potential in the extension of metis, which we can describe as the practical intelligence of Homo Extensus.
Think, for example, of all professional fields, for which highly specialized AI tools are being developed, extending the hand of the craftsman and the eye of the doctor, the ear of the musician and the word of the lawyer.
It should be considered that metis is based and formed on experience; in this sense if translated into Artificial Intelligence we can consider it trainable with historical data, trial and error. For the Greeks in metis also the body retains in itself a part of intelligence, which is developed through the natural senses (sight, hearing, touch) and therefore today also with artificial sensors.
The most appropriate form of AI to empower metis not generative AI, but operational AI, which is able to translate human thought and will into action. Operational AI can perform actions in the digital realm only, such as organizing and booking a trip On Line, or it can also act through robots, and in this case it becomes a prosthesis of the human body, capable of operating in the physical world.
Extended metis requires specific training of humans in the use of Artificial Intelligence tools, in the many areas where it can be applied, from creative skills to medical diagnosis, from automated factories to autonomous driving.
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