How do you define 'intelligent' and 'evolution?' I think we might differ on what those words mean, which would make this conversation difficult, so let's clarify where each of us is coming from.
My understanding (which may be slightly misguided because this is definitely not my field) is that Intelligence is the ability to use information for reasoning, decision making and achieving understanding. This ability, as a directed action, only applies to creatures with consciousness.
Regarding evolution, my understanding is closer to a process that is more akin to a passive filter, with no guidance to speak of unless we want to stretch the limits of the concept of guidance to encompass survival, which is the genetic materials of those who survive the environment getting passed on, which would also implies that sometimes garbage/noise stays in the gene pool. While information (genetic material) is being passed on, it is not being selected through reasoning or consideration, but more of a mechanical process (although there's an argument to be had that we, humans, might be changing that game).
How would you define those words? Happy to consider understanding different than my own, since I do find it interesting.
The OP said something about how the human body doesn't make "intelligent" decisions.
I was being cheeky, not using the best word for the job.
Evolution is not really passive, it's a combination of mutation (which is not intelligent, but not really passive) PLUS a passive filter, which gives the illusion of intelligence since it ends up as a kind of optimiser.
Now, due to various factors, evolution isn't perfect. For gene expression reasons (I think) the layout of mammal skeletons are not really effected much mutations, but bone sizes are; so you have giraffes with huge neck bones that are the same size as human neck bones (this isn't the best way to do it). You have bats with the same finger bones as humans (or at least very similar) acting as wings. Elephant feet are almost the same as human feet in an x-ray. Some genetic "knobs" are easier to turn than others, and it can be that shrinking something is easier than getting rid of it. Just google "vestigial structure". Actually, LLM are kind of similar (it's easier to optimise a value to zero than to remove it, even if removing a value will make the model better and faster).
It's also more adaptative than optimal. Some argue it's the "selfish gene" that "wants" to be passed on. If a gene makes you kill all the competition, that's a "fit" gene. If working in a team increases the survival rate of your cousins (who also kind of carry your genes) it's "fit". If having a certain percent of a village be gay would somehow increase survival rates (especially of their kin) then having a chance of being gay is "fit" even if the individuals themselves could be less likely to reproduce.
There's also some meta stuff about how the rate of mutations could partly be genetic.
Evolution is seen as intelligence because it solves hard problems, and IMO that's kind of the only thing intelligence needs? People who talk about "consciousness" talk a lot about how they think they think, but is how we think actually an illusion? The feeling of understanding is just a chemical pleasure hit when the brain hits the "problem solved" button. Consciousness might be an illusion, we might make a decision and wonder how we made it, then an AI in our brain quickly justifies it in some BS way that isn't actually our real thinking process.
My understanding (which may be slightly misguided because this is definitely not my field) is that Intelligence is the ability to use information for reasoning, decision making and achieving understanding. This ability, as a directed action, only applies to creatures with consciousness.
Regarding evolution, my understanding is closer to a process that is more akin to a passive filter, with no guidance to speak of unless we want to stretch the limits of the concept of guidance to encompass survival, which is the genetic materials of those who survive the environment getting passed on, which would also implies that sometimes garbage/noise stays in the gene pool. While information (genetic material) is being passed on, it is not being selected through reasoning or consideration, but more of a mechanical process (although there's an argument to be had that we, humans, might be changing that game).
How would you define those words? Happy to consider understanding different than my own, since I do find it interesting.