<i>&quot;[...] good notation is worth a whopping increment in IQ points. Except that the really good ones allow one to have thoughts that are impossible without.&quot;</i><p>I posit this post tangentially explains the nagging feeling that many parents[1] experience when their children struggle with mathematics. The benefits of basic language literacy are clear, but follow-on analogies such as the above emphasize a point of view concluding that an inability to attain mathematical fluency excludes the next generation from any implied augmented intelligence benefits.<p>The extrapolated message would be that mathematically disinclined adults will then be completely unable to comprehend certain important thoughts in [insert arcane, highly-specialized technical field].<p>Regarding the question posed by the title and last sentence in the blog post, I&#x27;m not sure why the thrust is framed as an XOR, and not as an AND. It&#x27;s not like we can&#x27;t focus on both IA and AI at the same time.<p>[1] Anecdata warning: I am a parent. I have this nagging feeling.