Polanyi's Paradox

Polanyi's Paradox highlights the challenge in programming computers to replicate human common sense and intuition. While machines excel at tasks with clear rules, they struggle with tasks that require implicit understanding, context, or unspoken knowledge—things humans do effortlessly. For example, a person easily recognizes whether a room is too hot or cold or understands nuance in social situations, but these are difficult for AI because they involve tacit, experiential knowledge that isn’t explicitly stated. This paradox underscores the complexity of human intelligence and explains why some aspects of reasoning remain resistant to automation.