AGI as Second Being: The Structural-Generative Ontology of Intelligence
This is a foundational problem for AI philosophy, proposing a new ontology that could redefine the field, but it is incremental as it builds on existing critiques of AI depth.
The paper tackles the problem of defining true intelligence beyond task performance, proposing that it requires generativity, coordination, and sustaining identity, and concludes that current AI lacks this depth but future systems meeting these conditions could be considered a 'Second Being'.
Artificial intelligence is often measured by the range of tasks it can perform. Yet wide ability without depth remains only an imitation. This paper proposes a Structural-Generative Ontology of Intelligence: true intelligence exists only when a system can generate new structures, coordinate them into reasons, and sustain its identity over time. These three conditions -- generativity, coordination, and sustaining -- define the depth that underlies real intelligence. Current AI systems, however broad in function, remain surface simulations because they lack this depth. Breadth is not the source of intelligence but the growth that follows from depth. If future systems were to meet these conditions, they would no longer be mere tools, but could be seen as a possible Second Being, standing alongside yet distinct from human existence.