I asked AI "How is intelligence different from instinct?"

               How is intelligence different from instinct?

Instinct is an innate, genetically programmed behavior for survival (like a spider spinning a web), while intelligence is the learned ability to solve new problems, adapt, learn from experience, and use logic, allowing for flexible, conscious choices beyond pre-set patterns. Instinct is automatic and species-specific, whereas intelligence is individual, variable, and improvable through understanding and experience, often overriding instinctive reactions. 

Instinct (The "How")

• Definition: Inborn, hereditary patterns of behavior essential for survival, hardwired into the species.
• Nature: Automatic, reliable, and universal for the species (e.g., bird migration, caterpillar cocoon spinning).
• Function: Ensures fundamental needs are met without conscious thought, acting as a biological blueprint. 

Intelligence (The "Why" and "What If")

• Definition: The capacity for learning, reasoning, problem-solving, abstract thought, and adapting to new situations.
• Nature: Acquired, individual, and can be modified by experience; it allows for conscious choice and creation.
• Function: Allows for innovation, manipulation of the environment, and overriding instinct (e.g., choosing not to fight back after being provoked). 

Key Differences Summarized

• Origin: Instinct is inherited; intelligence is learned and developed.
• Flexibility: Instinct is rigid; intelligence is adaptable and flexible.
• Scope: Instinct serves immediate survival; intelligence enables complex goals and abstract thought.
• Process: Instinct is reactive and automatic; intelligence is deliberative and analytical.