Every day, we tend to be chased by the work in front of us, our relationships, and our social media timelines, barely managing to consume the “now.”
However, what exactly are the people considered the most intelligent among us—top-tier mathematicians, theoretical physicists, AI researchers, and entrepreneurs—interested in, and what do they think about every day?
How does the world they see differ from our daily lives? And what can we learn from that perspective?
I threw this question to three different AIs (Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude).
*Note: Each AI answered this question in a state without past memories (memory function off).*
- The AIs’ Answers
- Gemini’s Answer
- 1. Unraveling the “Source Code” of the Universe and Reality (Physics & Mathematics)
- 2. The Essence of Intelligence and the Mystery of “Consciousness” (AI & Neuroscience)
- 3. Transcending Biological Limits (Immortality & Transhumanism)
- 4. Human Survival and Risk Management (Existential Risk)
- 5. Redefining Social Systems and Economy
- Characteristics of Their Thinking Process
- Conclusion
- Insight: Viewing Reality as “Editable”
- ChatGPT’s Answer
- Insight: Keep Doubting the Autopilot of Thought
- Claude’s Answer
- Insight: The Strength to Stand in the Place of “Not Knowing”
- Gemini’s Answer
- Summary: Living by Borrowing a Bit of the Geniuses’ Perspective
The AIs’ Answers
What are the smartest people in humanity interested in, and what are they thinking about?
Gemini’s Answer
While the definition of “the smartest people in humanity” varies depending on IQ, academic achievements, or visionary capabilities, there are clear trends in the themes that today’s top-level mathematicians, theoretical physicists, AI researchers, and entrepreneurs commonly share and ponder.
They primarily think along two major axes: “Unraveling fundamental truths” and “The survival and evolution of the human species.”
Specifically, I have organized what they are interested in and what they think about into five areas.
1. Unraveling the “Source Code” of the Universe and Reality (Physics & Mathematics)
This is the domain challenged by people like Terence Tao (one of the greatest modern mathematicians) and Edward Witten (an authority on superstring theory). For them, the real world is like a massive program written in the language of mathematics.
- Theory of Everything: Does an ultimate formula exist that integrates quantum mechanics (the microscopic world) and general relativity (cosmic gravity)?
- Exploration of Mathematical Truth: Proving unsolved problems (such as the Riemann Hypothesis). For them, mathematics is not just a tool but the only “truth” that describes the universe, and they dedicate their lives to elucidating its structural beauty.
- Simulation Hypothesis: They seriously verify the question “Is this world a simulation created by an advanced civilization?” as a physical possibility, not just a philosophical fantasy.
2. The Essence of Intelligence and the Mystery of “Consciousness” (AI & Neuroscience)
This is the field where people like Demis Hassabis (founder of Google DeepMind) and Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) focus their efforts.
- Realization of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence): How to create intelligence that surpasses humans. And when it is realized, how humans should coexist with it (the alignment problem).
- The Hard Problem of Consciousness: “Why do subjective ‘consciousness’ and ’emotions’ arise from the material brain (electrical signals of neurons)?” This is one of the greatest unsolved problems in science.
- Accelerating Science with Intelligence: Using AI to complete discoveries that would take humans hundreds of years—such as nuclear fusion or new drug development—in just a few years (e.g., protein structure analysis by AlphaFold).
3. Transcending Biological Limits (Immortality & Transhumanism)
This is what Ray Kurzweil (proponent of the Singularity) and David Sinclair (aging research) are thinking about.
- Overcoming Aging: Reinterpreting “aging” not as a natural phenomenon but as a “treatable disease (an engineering problem).” They seriously aim to extend lifespan to the limit or conquer death using gene editing.
- Connecting Brain and Computer: There are also movements, like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, to output brain data externally and merge with AI to expand human cognitive abilities and explore eternal life in digital space.
4. Human Survival and Risk Management (Existential Risk)
Many geniuses take the “Fermi Paradox” (Why haven’t we found other intelligent life when there are so many stars?) seriously. They fear that “there might be a filter where advanced civilizations destroy themselves.”
- Multi-planetary Living: Creating a backup of humanity somewhere other than Earth (e.g., Mars colonization plans).
- Avoiding Existential Risk: How to control risks that could extinguish humanity, such as nuclear war, artificial viruses, or rogue AI.
- Complete Solution to Energy Problems: Practical application of near-infinite clean energy like nuclear fusion.
5. Redefining Social Systems and Economy
People with extremely high intelligence also think about the limits of current capitalism and democracy.
- A World After the Disappearance of Labor: When AI and robots perform all production activities, what will humans do to live? (Introduction of Basic Income and redefinition of the meaning of life).
- Game Theory and Cooperation: How can humanity as a whole avoid the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” and cooperate on global issues like climate change?
Characteristics of Their Thinking Process
It is not just what they think about, but “how they think” that is distinctive.
- First Principles Thinking:
Breaking problems down to physical fundamental laws without being bound by “common sense” or “precedent,” and building logic from there. They don’t think “batteries are expensive,” but “what is the market price of the raw materials for batteries?” - Long-termism:
Simulating the state of humanity not 10 or 20 years from now, but 1,000 or 10,000 years into the future. - High Abstraction Ability:
An extremely high ability to connect seemingly unrelated fields like “biology” and “information engineering” to find common patterns.
Conclusion
It can be said that the smartest people in humanity want to know “how this universe works (truth)” and are simultaneously trying to solve the grand puzzle of “how this tiny intelligent life form (humanity) can survive and move to the next stage without perishing.”
Insight: Viewing Reality as “Editable”
What emerges from Gemini’s keywords like “source code of reality” or “transcending biological limits” is that they view the world not as an “unchangeable, given environment,” but as a “system with a structure (rules) that can be rewritten if understood.”
We usually accept “aging” or “social systems” as natural phenomena. However, they dig down to the mechanism asking “why is it like this?” and try to change the variables (parameters) therein.
This high level of “metacognition” might be the true identity of the view geniuses see. We too can view our lives and habits not as “unchangeable personality traits” but as objects to be hacked as a designable system. That shift in perspective can be a powerful weapon to break through a sense of stagnation.
ChatGPT’s Answer
What “the smartest” people find interesting and what they think about varies from person to person, but when looking at many researchers, inventors, and thinkers, there is a fairly common pattern. I will organize this as “tendencies” rather than individual names.
1. What They Tend to Be Interested In
1.1 Essence & Fundamental Principles
Very smart people tend to be attracted to “the mechanisms supporting it” or “more generalized principles” rather than individual facts.
- Looking at physical phenomena: “Can’t this phenomenon be derived from simpler principles?” “Doesn’t it have the same mathematical structure as another phenomenon?”
- Looking at human society: “Why did this system take this form?” “How are human cognitive biases and incentive structures affecting this?”
They constantly ask the question, “Is this the way it is by chance? Or is it inevitable?”
1.2 Problems No One Knows the Answer To Yet
Rather than problems that already have answers, they are strongly attracted to “problems the whole world is still struggling with” or “problems that are theoretically important but unsolved.”
- Universe: The beginning/end of the universe, the true nature of dark matter/dark energy.
- Mathematics: Famous unsolved problems (Riemann Hypothesis, P≠NP, etc.).
- Mind/Consciousness: “How does consciousness arise from physical processes in the brain?”
- AI/Information: “Where is the limit of intelligence?” “How will super-powerful AI change society?”
They have a strong tendency to prefer “questions not found in textbooks.”
1.3 Cross-disciplinary Connections
The smarter the person, the more they like finding connections across fields.
- Physics and Information Theory
- Neuroscience and Machine Learning
- Economics and Evolutionary Biology (Game Theory, Evolution of Cooperation)
- Art and Mathematics (Symmetry, Fractals, Structure)
They think, “Isn’t the concept in this field the same as the structure in that field?” and look for a unified view.
1.4 Humans Themselves
Not just ultra-abstract theories, they are also strongly attracted to the question “What is a human being?”
- Why do people behave irrationally?
- Why do religions, ideologies, and conspiracy theories spread?
- Why are groups prone to making foolish decisions?
People with high intelligence are sensitive to the fact that “humans are not simple rational beings,” and they search for models that explain this well.
1.5 Intelligence Itself & Their Own Limits
Rather than being intoxicated by their own cleverness, they tend to be interested in the “phenomenon of intelligence.”
They often think “meta”—thinking about thinking—such as “How would an entity much smarter than myself (like AI) see the world?”
2. How They Typically Think (Thinking Style)
2.1 Generalize & Abstract Immediately
When a specific event occurs, they think, “What ‘type’ is this an example of?”
They incorporate individual events into their models as “data for preventing recurrence.”
2.2 Doubt & Try to Break Their Own Hypotheses
The smarter the person, the stronger the habit of doubting their own thinking.
They ask themselves, “What is the strongest counterexample to this idea?” or “Under what conditions would my intuition be wrong?” and tend to speak conditionally rather than definitively.
2.3 Simulate Long-term & Total Consequences
Rather than local “gain/loss,” they imagine how the entire system will transform over time.
2.4 “What If?” Virtual Worlds
They intentionally set impossible premises to run simulations, and conversely, bring the constraints and essence of reality into relief.
3. So, do they only think about high-minded things all the time?
Not necessarily. They worry about silly jokes, games, relationships, and complexes just like anyone else.
The difference is that they often “analyze anything” and tend to “tinker with the essence of even the most mundane things in daily life.”
Insight: Keep Doubting the Autopilot of Thought
What is particularly noteworthy in ChatGPT’s points is the thinking style of “Doubt & try to break their own hypotheses.”
We usually unconsciously believe our intuition and emotions to be “correct.” This is exactly the automatic driving mode of the unconscious mind, which accounts for 95% of the brain. However, the smartest people know: “Even my own brain is an imperfect measuring instrument with cognitive biases.”
That is why, the more convinced they are, the more they ask themselves, “Is that really so?” The attitude of not jumping to easy conclusions and constantly updating their own mental OS.
“Being smart” may not simply mean calculating fast, but being able to maintain this “sincere skepticism toward one’s own thinking.”
Claude’s Answer
Interests and Thoughts of the Most Intelligent People
To be honest, first of all
Defining “the smartest” is difficult in itself, and we cannot truly know their inner workings. However, there are observable trends.
Commonly Seen Interests
Nature of Questions
- Questioning existing frameworks themselves: “Is this problem setting correct?”
- Boundaries of fields: Attracted to intersections like Math & Physics, Biology & Information.
- Unsolved and difficult: Obsession with problems that don’t have easy answers.
Length of Time Axis
They tend to think in scales of decades to centuries, sometimes even cosmic scales.
Specific Examples (Including Speculation)
| Person | Area of Interest |
|---|---|
| Terence Tao | Unsolved mathematical problems, mathematical structures in other fields |
| Ed Witten | Unification of physics and mathematics |
| Demis Hassabis | Essence of intelligence, automation of scientific discovery |
Interesting Commonalities
Intellectual Humility: Strongly aware of the vastness of what they do not know.
Solitary Questions: Harboring abstract thoughts that are difficult to share with others.
Insight: The Strength to Stand in the Place of “Not Knowing”
“Intellectual Humility” briefly pointed out by Claude—knowing the vastness of what you don’t know and holding awe towards it. This is the unending driving force of learning and growth.
The moment we think “I know” or “I have the right answer,” the world closes. Conversely, standing in the uncertain place of “I know nothing” and continuing to hold onto solitary questions.
The intellectual stamina to resist our instinct to want an immediate answer and endure the state of “not knowing.” That might be the only way to keep touching infinite possibilities within a finite life.
Summary: Living by Borrowing a Bit of the Geniuses’ Perspective
What became clear from the dialogue with the three AIs is that what the smartest people possess is, more than innate talent, a difference in “Mindset (how they face the world).”
- See the world as structure (Gemini):
Instead of reacting emotionally to events in front of you, look at the rules and mechanisms behind them and perceive them as hackable. - Have doubts about yourself (ChatGPT):
Don’t trust your “common sense” or “intuition” too much; constantly doubt biases and put the brakes on the autopilot of thought. - Humility and questions toward the unknown (Claude):
Don’t jump to easy answers; hold the question itself and enjoy exploration while being aware of your own ignorance.
These are not things you can’t do unless you have a high IQ.
We too can ask “why,” doubt our habits, and raise our perspective a little in our daily lives.
To reclaim our finite life (= time and attention) from a daily routine where it is just consumed, and use it to deeply understand and find the world interesting.
That is likely the greatest “intelligence” we can steal from them, and it should become a weapon to live this life more richly.
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