Intelligence as the Sensitivity to Error: A Philosophical Framework for Composite Intelligence in the Age of AI

Contemporary assessments of intelligence often rely on narrow metrics that fail to predict real-world success or innovation. This paper proposes a novel redefinition of intelligence: its core lies in the ability to sense, detect, and respond to various forms of “error”—whether logical, perceptual, social, or ethical. We introduce a tripartite framework that conceptualizes intelligence as a composite system encompassing error sensitivity, corrective capacity, and integrative creativity. This perspective offers a fresh lens through which to understand human cognition, its evolutionary foundations, and its unique value in the era of artificial intelligence.