I encountered a definition for the different concepts in one of my programming classes, while discussing AI (the trivial kind of AI in that case, not AGI), which has stuck with me:
Knowledge is the ability to more usefully apply data. Intelligence is the ability to more usefully apply knowledge. Wisdom is the ability to more usefully apply intelligence.
A key point is that each level ability becomes more generalized; knowledge applies to a wide range of data. Intelligence applies to a wide range of knowledge, and hence a very wide range of data. And wisdom applies to a wide range of intelligence, etc. A key point is that “more usefully” may indicate -not- working on a problem.
While hierarchical, each level is not necessarily dependent on the layers beneath it; one can be wise without intelligence, or intelligent without knowledge, or knowledgeable without data. More people have knowledge about quantum physics than have data about it; they can know the results of an experiment, and what it means, without looking at the data produced by that experiment. Whether or not this is a good thing depends on your perspective.
ETA: If this definition doesn’t seem meaningful, try this instead, where data includes process definitions: Knowledge is data about data. Intelligence is data about data about data. Wisdom is data about data about data about data. You can have false knowledge, false intelligence, and false wisdom, just as much as you can have false data. Just as it is difficult to tell good data from bad without knowledge, it is difficult to tell good knowledge from bad without intelligence, and good intelligence from bad without wisdom. Experimentation in each case can also suffice, but is difficult.
I encountered a definition for the different concepts in one of my programming classes, while discussing AI (the trivial kind of AI in that case, not AGI), which has stuck with me:
Knowledge is the ability to more usefully apply data. Intelligence is the ability to more usefully apply knowledge. Wisdom is the ability to more usefully apply intelligence.
A key point is that each level ability becomes more generalized; knowledge applies to a wide range of data. Intelligence applies to a wide range of knowledge, and hence a very wide range of data. And wisdom applies to a wide range of intelligence, etc. A key point is that “more usefully” may indicate -not- working on a problem.
While hierarchical, each level is not necessarily dependent on the layers beneath it; one can be wise without intelligence, or intelligent without knowledge, or knowledgeable without data. More people have knowledge about quantum physics than have data about it; they can know the results of an experiment, and what it means, without looking at the data produced by that experiment. Whether or not this is a good thing depends on your perspective.
ETA: If this definition doesn’t seem meaningful, try this instead, where data includes process definitions: Knowledge is data about data. Intelligence is data about data about data. Wisdom is data about data about data about data. You can have false knowledge, false intelligence, and false wisdom, just as much as you can have false data. Just as it is difficult to tell good data from bad without knowledge, it is difficult to tell good knowledge from bad without intelligence, and good intelligence from bad without wisdom. Experimentation in each case can also suffice, but is difficult.
Ah, so you are saying… rationality is GOD Over Data?