Are AI Agents Really Intelligent And Does It Matter?
Techstrong.ai, Thursday, February 19th, 2026
If you put two parrots next to each other and one says, 'Hello,' and the other answers, 'Hi there,' you would be forgiven for thinking you are watching a conversation.
Watch long enough and your brain starts filling in the blanks. Personality. Intent. Maybe even a little relationship. A lot of that is just projection.
Some parrots are simply mimicking sounds. Others, especially African Greys, can associate words with objects, context and even intent. Researchers have compared their cognition to that of a three-year-old child. They do not just repeat 'want nut.' They use it to get a nut. That is not noise. That is purpose.
Not all parrots are intelligent. And not all intelligence looks like ours.
Which brings us to AI agents.