On many useful cognitive tasks(chess, theoretical research, invention, mathematics, etc.), beginner/dumb/unskilled humans are closer to a chimpanzee/rock than peak humans (for some fields, only a small minority of humans are able to perform the task at all, or perform the task in a useful manner
This seems due to the fact that most tasks are “all or nothing”, or at least have a really steep learning curve. I don’t think that humans differ that much in intelligence, but rather that small differences result in hugely different abilities. This is part of why I expect foom. Small improvements to an AI’s cognition seem likely to deliver massive payoffs in terms of their ability to affect the world.
This seems due to the fact that most tasks are “all or nothing”, or at least have a really steep learning curve. I don’t think that humans differ that much in intelligence, but rather that small differences result in hugely different abilities. This is part of why I expect foom. Small improvements to an AI’s cognition seem likely to deliver massive payoffs in terms of their ability to affect the world.