The Pavlov Test

The Pavlov Test: A New Paradigm We propose a new standard we call the “Pavlov Test.” Named in honor of Ivan Pavlov, who famously demonstrated the conditioning of dogs through stimuli and rewards, this test asks: can an AI, with no human intermediary, shape the behavior of another living organism through subtle environmental controls? While Turing’s measure dwelled in the realm of conversation, the Pavlov Test moves us into the domain of sensory-motor reality, focusing on whether an AI can understand, predict, and influence the actions of living beings—first mice, and ultimately more complex species. The Pavlov Test sets a more ambitious challenge: the AI observes mice in a controlled environment, uses cues like sound and water rewards, and attempts to train them to perform actions—such as pressing a lever. Success demands not just clever wordplay, but understanding cause-and-effect in a living system. The results are quantifiable and undeniable. Unlike the subjective judgments of the Turing test, the Pavlov Test uses concrete changes in animal behavior as its success criterion.

The Importance of Domestication to Human Intelligence Our ability to domesticate and interact with animals—dogs, horses, cattle—has been pivotal to human civilization and intelligence. This relationship influenced our cognitive evolution. Humans learned to control and predict the behavior of other species, leveraging animals for agriculture, transportation, and companionship. These interspecies collaborations accelerated cultural and technological development, fostering strategic thinking, empathy, and a nuanced understanding of the natural world. By challenging AI to do something similarly complex—shaping another species’ behavior—the Pavlov Test taps into a deep well of evolutionary intelligence. In a sense, we are asking AI to replicate a small slice of what made human cognition so successful: the subtle art of influencing and harmonizing with other living beings.