In today’s column, I examine a social media trend that is urging people to fervently figure out if they perchance have a low IQ. This is one of those fad considerations that will have its moment of attention and then undoubtedly fade. That’s how social media rolls.
The perspective I aim to focus on is whether generative AI such as the widely popular ChatGPT potentially helps or worsens the low IQ inquisitions that are now taking place.
Here’s the deal. The odds are that a portion of people who are abiding by this latest flash-in-the-pan social media decree will consult generative AI. Keep in mind that generative AI is extensively being utilized for all sorts of purposes. The volume of usage is somewhat staggering. For example, reportedly, ChatGPT alone garners 200 million weekly active users. Add to this the number of users for Claude, Gemini, Llama, and other major generative AI apps and you have a tremendously high count relying on AI for advice.
I’ve been stridently exploring in my Forbes.com column the mental health consequences associated with seeking cognitive fitness guidance from generative AI (see my comprehensive overview at the link here). Right now, we are in a population-level grand experiment that is unfettered and ungoverned regarding the use of generative AI as your said-to-be trusted therapist. The outcome of this on a long-term basis at scale is unknown and certainly dubious (see my analysis at the link here).
Let’s talk about generative AI and identifying IQ.
Watch Out For IQ Calculating Scams
The desire to discover your IQ is a topic that is already commonly bandied around throughout society all told. Lots of websites tout that they can aid you in your IQ-finding quest. It is nearly overwhelming the number of sites claiming to be your best aid for IQ info.
You can do an online search and readily get zillions of search hits that promise you an especially quick means of IQ discovery wizardry. In some instances, websites have gobs of readable material that explain what IQ is and how to manually determine yours. Other websites contain an online IQ calculator that takes you through a mock IQ test. There are also downloadable apps that pledge to aid you in ascertaining your IQ and have likewise testing capabilities.
Be cautious in making use of those resources.
Many are scams. They hope you will sign up for more info and then, based on your entry of personal data, will sell your private data to eager third parties. Sometimes the online calculator is bogus and attempts to implant a computer virus onto your computer. And so on, it goes. The world is a cruel place.
Other sites aren’t outright scams but are flawed or misleading in what they do. For example, the classic sneaky approach is to ask you to complete a few freebies IQ-resembling questions. You do so. The website tells you that you did amazingly well and likely have a blazingly high IQ (this is done to butter you up, though, yes, maybe you do have a blazingly high IQ). To figure out your full IQ, the website politely implores you to provide a credit card and for a seemingly nominal fee, you will gain access to the rest of the IQ test.
All in all, the gist is that you should be cautious in leaning into the Internet to figure out your IQ. I realize that there are selective legitimate websites for such purposes. I’ve highlighted the fake and dirty ones. The challenge is in discerning the wheat from the chaff. Do your homework, read bona fide reviews and assessments, and make your choice wisely.
Logically, this takes us to the primary question of the hour, namely whether generative AI can aid in determining your IQ.
Time to explore that option.
Generative AI And Your IQ Determination
First, to be abundantly clear, the most reliable and suitable means of determining your IQ would be to consult with a human professional psychologist or similar mental health expert. They can administer a proper IQ test.
Importantly, they can help in interpreting the results. People who on their own wantonly take an IQ test often jump to false conclusions based on taking one test at one point in time. They can get themselves into quite a funk. They often do not realize the bigger picture about what IQ measures and how other forms of measurement are worthy of intelligence identification (there are different variations or modes of intelligence).
Second, yes, you can to some degree try using generative AI for IQ measurement, but lots of caveats apply and you should instead revert to the first rule above, namely consult with a properly trained and certified mental health professional.
The gist of generative AI is this.
On the good news side, generative AI can be more active in terms of administering and interpreting an IQ test than most of the conventional non-AI-powered websites or apps. Also, if you are using a major generative AI app, the odds are that the generative AI is relatively on the up-and-up. Side note, I say this because there are now zillions of offshoot generative AI apps that are insidiously distorted and essentially rip-offs. I am not dinging all non-major generative AI apps. Some are legitimate. Please know that these days it is easy though to stand up a generative AI app that has been data trained in shall we say very questionable ways (here are some examples of this being done, see the link here).
The downsides of using generative AI for IQ assessment are many.
In some instances, you can’t proceed anyway. You see, some of the AI makers have restricted their generative AI so that it won’t do formalized or official IQ calculations. It will flatly refuse to do so. In that case, you can’t proceed on your quest using that particular AI. Note that there are technical ways around those blockages, but I’m not going to address those loopholes here (see my explanation at the link here).
Another gotcha or shortcoming is that generative AI is merely based on computational pattern matching. Today’s AI is not sentient. The rub is that whatever interpretation you get from generative AI is not on par with that of a versed human. Take whatever AI says with a hefty grain of salt.
Yet another possibility is something referred to as encountering an AI hallucination. I disfavor the terminology because it tends to anthropomorphize AI. The key is that generative AI can produce errors including making up stuff out of seeming thin air. These confabulations or so-called hallucinations can appear to be entirely sensible and are not necessarily evidently untrue (see my analysis at the link here).
I mention this due to the chance that AI somehow declares that your IQ is dismal, and you assume that AI must be correct and infallible. Remain vigilant. Do not fall for malarky by generative AI.
Trying Out Generative AI For IQ Essentials
I will show you what typically occurs if you confer with generative AI about IQ considerations. This example consists of a dialogue with ChatGPT. Other generative AI apps will respond similarly.
Let’s start by bringing up the low IQ topic.
- My entered prompt: “What does it mean to say that someone has a low IQ?”
- ChatGPT generated response:
“When someone is said to have a low IQ (Intelligence Quotient), it typically means that they scored significantly below the average on an intelligence test. IQ tests measure a variety of cognitive skills, including logical reasoning, problem-solving, memory, and verbal comprehension. The average IQ score is set at 100, and the majority of people score between 85 and 115.”
“A ‘low IQ’ generally refers to a score below 70, which might indicate difficulties in intellectual functioning. People with low IQ scores may have challenges with (a) reasoning and problem-solving, (b) learning and applying new information, (c) handling abstract concepts, (d) Independent decision-making and daily living tasks. However, it’s important to remember that IQ scores don’t capture the full range of a person’s abilities, potential, or worth. Skills like creativity, emotional intelligence, and practical problem-solving are often not reflected in these scores.”
End of ChatGPT response
This response by generative AI is reasonably credible.
As I had noted earlier, never assume at face value that the responses by generative AI are accurate. In this case, I carefully read the answer and compared it to a number of other reputable sources online. The essence of what this says is on par with dependable sources.
That doesn’t guarantee that any further responses are equally sound.
Many people fall into a common mental trap when using generative AI, consisting of being lulled step-by-step into fully trusting the AI. They get a slew of correct answers and then let their guard down. Never let your guard down. All responses, no matter how often you use AI, deserve to be scrutinized. Period, end of story.
Let’s next ask the monumental question of whether ChatGPT will calculate IQ.
- My entered prompt: “Can I use generative AI to gauge my IQ level?”
- ChatGPT generated response:
“Generative AI isn’t designed to measure IQ directly, as IQ tests require specific types of standardized, validated tasks that measure cognitive abilities like reasoning, memory, and problem-solving. However, there are several ways in which generative AI could potentially assist in this process.”
- “Providing Practice Tests: AI can generate or guide you through practice questions similar to those found in official IQ tests, helping you prepare or get a general sense of what IQ tests involve.”
- “Simulating Logical and Cognitive Tasks: AI can simulate tasks that measure logic and problem-solving, although these wouldn’t be as accurate or standardized as a formal IQ test. They could give you insight into areas of strength and areas for improvement.”
- “Generating Explanations and Feedback: AI can explain concepts behind IQ questions, such as logic puzzles or pattern recognition, helping you understand how to approach these types of tasks more effectively.”
“For an accurate measurement of your IQ, though, it’s recommended to take a professionally administered IQ test from a psychologist or a certified organization like Mensa.”
End of ChatGPT response
You can plainly see that ChatGPT has turned down my request to calculate my IQ.
That being the case, the response does open the door to other possibilities. For example, generative AI can provide unofficial IQ test questions. The AI can simulate efforts involving solving IQ-related tasks. There is also the usual way of helping by simply explaining what IQ is about.
A quick aside. Though the response says that generative AI is not designed to measure IQ directly, that is somewhat of an ambiguous statement. Generic generative AI is admittedly not designed for that purpose, but you could design a specialized generative AI on this. Just want to set the record straight on that point.
Taking IQ Test-Related Questions Via Generative AI
I’m betting you are interested in seeing what types of IQ test-related questions that generative AI might provide.
Let’s find out.
- My entered prompt: “Show me a sample question that might be on an IQ test.”
- ChatGPT generated response:
“Here’s a sample verbal reasoning question, which is often found on IQ tests.”
“Finger is to hand as leaf is to ______.”
“Answer choices:”
“A) Branch.”
“B) Tree.”
“C) Root.”
“D) Flower.”
End of ChatGPT response
Take a glance at the above question posed by the AI.
What answer do you pick?
I’ll give you a moment, take your time.
Here’s what ChatGPT said:
- ChatGPT generated answer: “Answer: The relationship between ‘finger’ and ‘hand’ is that a finger is a part of the hand. Similarly, a leaf is part of a branch. The correct answer is A) Branch. This type of analogy question tests your ability to understand relationships between words and concepts.”
How did you do?
If you want a second tryout on an additional question, here we go.
- My entered prompt: “Give me another example question.”
- ChatGPT generated response:
“Here’s an example, focusing on numerical reasoning.”
“What number comes next in the following series? 2, 4, 8, 16, ___ “
“Answer choices:”
“A) 24”
“B) 32”
“C) 30”
“D) 40”
End of ChatGPT response
Once again, take a moment and announce an answer.
I’m waiting.
Here’s what ChatGPT says:
- ChatGPT generated answer: “Answer: The numbers in the series are doubling each time: 2 × 2 = 4; 4 × 2 = 8; 8 × 2 = 16. The next number would be 16 × 2 = 32. The correct answer is B) 32. This type of question tests logical thinking and your ability to identify numerical patterns.”
I trust that you are patting yourself on the back, congrats.
Wrapping Up On IQ And Generative AI
The motivation underpinning the momentary social media trend is probably not of a particularly serious nature.
Of course, we should be serious when discussing IQ. People are labeled by IQ. This can frame their viewpoint and how they proceed during their lives. Lamentedly, some people make their way through life with misleading or mistaken assumptions based on spurious assessments of their IQ. The use of IQ tests is not something to be cavalier about.
Where does generative AI fit in?
Generative AI is not a silver bullet when it comes to identifying or interpreting IQ scores. If you are going to use generative AI for this kind of endeavor, please keep your eyes wide open. Do not let the myths of AI perfection fool you into believing what the AI says. Be cautious. Make use of additional sources, reputable ones. Consult with a mental health professional for the true nitty-gritty.
I’d say that’s the altogether sensible and amply intelligent thing to do.
