By Michael Levitt

At the CEIBS Annual Forum 2025, recently held on the CEIBS Shanghai campus, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and member of the American National Academy of Sciences Michael Levitt shared wide-ranging perspectives on evolutionary biology, the creativity of youth, artificial intelligence, and personal development, in a keynote speech entitled “How Should Humanity Navigate the Era of Great Intelligence?”.

Drawing from his pioneering work in computational biology and decades of experience in science, he presented a framework of four distinct but interrelated forms of intelligence—biological, cultural, artificial, and personal—as a lens through which to understand life in the age of AI.

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Amid the rapid rise and dramatic development of AI, humans are now living through what I call the “Era of Great Intelligence”. How we navigate this new era will of course depend on how we navigate the rise of artificial intelligence; but there is much more to it than that.

Today, life consists of four intelligences—biological (BI), cultural (CI), artificial (AI), and personal (PI)—all of which we must embrace if we are to truly thrive in an era defined by technological progress, increasing machine intelligence, and global uncertainty.

In this article, I will outline what these four types of intelligence are, how they define us and the world around us, and how we can work to fully leverage them for our own development.

1. Biological Intelligence: Diversity is nature’s secret strategy

Biological intelligence learns by evolution, and in doing so, biology actually teaches us something quite unexpected. In my scientific work, I have always been struck by how life survives uncertainty. We often talk about the “survival of the fittest,” but decades of research have led me to a very different conclusion: we should really talk about “survival of the most diverse”. Nature survives by being diverse, not perfect.

Simple organisms like bacteria reproduce by copying themselves. This is efficient as long as the future looks like the present. The problem is that it never does. Complex life—humans, plants, animals—evolved through sexual reproduction between male and female cells, which brings about randomness, diversity, and creativity.

So essentially, life is like a good banker; it tries to be very diverse in its investments. It makes the members of each species very different from each other, so they have a better chance of surviving in a future that’s unknown. Nature rewards creativity. In biology, mixing male and female cells leads to diversity in life. So we should always remember: when it comes to biology, diversity is good.

2. Cultural Intelligence: Great scientists are great role models

Unlike biological intelligence, which is passed down slowly through DNA, cultural knowledge moves quickly, through language, education, stories, and increasingly through digital platforms.

Here is one example from the world of science that I find instructive. In the 1960s, a group of scientists based in Cambridge, England, was working on finding molecular structures. Francis Crick, who would go on to become a great scientist, was at that time the PhD student of Max Perutz, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and one of the great figures in molecular biology. Perutz helped him get his famous work on DNA published. Yet, Perutz did not put his own name on the paper. He believed that if you wanted to give young people the opportunity to develop, you should help them, while not taking anything—like credit for their work—away from them. You let them be independent.

This idea extends far beyond science into business, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Cultural intelligence grows not just through the transfer of knowledge, but through trust, generosity, and inspiration. Inspiration is contagious, and great scientists are very important role models for science.

This is something that older generations must remember, because cultural intelligence is not just about the wisdom of teachers, but also the creativity of young people. Young people are intrinsically creative. They don’t yet know what they shouldn’t do, which allows them to try new things. That’s why it’s so important to nurture and offer support to young people.

My personal story reflects this. I was only 22 when I did the work that changed my life and ultimately won me a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

In science and elsewhere, this is often the case. Why? Because youth drives discovery. The very greatest science is done by the very young, usually people under 30, so we need to give brilliant young minds their chance to contribute.

It is essential that institutions—whether scientific labs or business schools—give young people the room to explore, experiment, and take risks without fear of failure.

3. Artificial Intelligence: The future of science, technology, and everything else

Biological and cultural intelligence have been around for millennia. The third type of intelligence, artificial intelligence, is comparatively much more recent.

Although I have been using computers for 60 years, I was still surprised by the leap that AI has made in the past couple of years. It has been around for a while; a calculator, for example, is a form of artificial intelligence, as it can do mathematical calculation much more quickly and efficiently than a human can. But today, AI is also a language translator, negotiation strategist, tutor, analyst, coder, and emotive listener.

The core operating principle of this remarkable technology is surprisingly simple: AI learns by predicting the next word.

Yet to make that prediction accurately, it must understand meaning, model the world, and react to social and emotional influence. It is through doing so that AI is now able to translate effortlessly across languages, demonstrate higher emotional intelligence than humans, and even outperform most humans in the game Diplomacy.

To me, AI is not a threat to humans’ ability to think critically. It is, however, the most sophisticated tool humanity has ever built. Like any tool, whether it is used for good or bad will depend on the user. Think of another tool: a hammer and chisel. In the hands of Michelangelo, this small tool could create artistic masterpieces. In the hands of another, it can damage and destroy. Exactly the same is true of AI.

Ultimately, like any tool, the only way to understand AI is to use it. I encourage everyone to “play” with AI; experiment, question, and challenge it, while also always verifying what it tells us. It is also vital to remember the one thing AI cannot do for us: AI has the answers, but you must learn to ask it the right questions. The most important thing is to try and work on one key maxim: “Be curious like an 8-year-old, and wise like an 80-year-old.”

4. Personal Intelligence: Look after your body and mind

The final core intelligence in the world is perhaps something that we often don’t think of as intelligence at all: personal intelligence. Alongside my enthusiasm for technology, I remain convinced that our own physical well-being is the foundation of all our creativity. Personal intelligence encompasses nourishment through food and drink, movement through exercise, thriving through enjoyment and mindfulness, and rest. Over the years, I have learned that my mind works best when I take care of my body, especially through rest and sleep.

Sleep is really important because it makes each day a new start. I, personally, treat sleep almost like a discipline. I go to bed early, I don’t check my phone, and I allow my mind to reset. This simple habit keeps you sharp as you age, and helps you stay smart. It has worked for me.

In a world that celebrates speed and constant attention, personal intelligence—effectively, the ability to manage ourselves—is more important than ever.

Conclusion

Life has four intelligences. To live and lead well in today’s fast-paced, technology-powered world, we must learn to embrace all four as a connected framework for human growth and development.

To conclude, I would like to highlight one more rule which I think we should all incorporate into our lives: what I call my “Golden Rule of Science”. Nothing should be accepted as true until it is proven through evidence.

This principle has always applied to science, but in the age of AI and the internet, it is more important than ever. In a world full of limitless answers to our questions, it’s crucial to maintain a healthy scepticism and verify information before accepting it as fact.

If we can pay attention to and embrace all four of life’s intelligences, while maintaining a discerning approach to the infinite knowledge that is now at our fingertips, we can thrive no matter how uncertain our future may seem.