non-human intelligence
“Non-human intelligence” (NHI) is an umbrella term used in debates about UFO/UAP phenomena for hypothetical intelligent beings or entities that are not of human origin
The term “non-human intelligence” (NHI) is used in UAP debates to denote hypothetical intelligent actors that are not of human origin. The concept is deliberately broader and more neutral than the traditional term “extraterrestrial”: it does not commit in advance to whether the intelligence in question comes from another planet, possibly from another dimension or time, or even from a form originating on Earth but not identified by humans.
##Why this term?
The concept was deliberately framed broadly. Unlike the word “extraterrestrial,” it makes no claim about the origin of the entities: it can apply equally to beings arriving from another planet and to other, speculative hypotheses raised in the debates, such as an intelligence living hidden on Earth or originating from “another dimension.” The term thus comes across as more neutral, but for that very reason it is hard to define precisely what it refers to.
##How did it become known?
The term moved to the center of public discourse in 2023. David Grusch, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, claimed in interviews in Summer 2023, and then under oath before a House committee on July 26, that the United States possesses vehicles of non-human origin and non-human biological remains. By his own account, he had not seen these personally but had learned about them from others. In the same year, Senators Chuck Schumer and Mike Rounds introduced a bill on the public release of UAP records (UAP Disclosure Act), which also defined the concept of non-human intelligence: any hypothetical sentient, non-human life form that may be responsible for unidentified phenomena or of which the federal government has become aware. Most of the proposal was ultimately left out of the 2024 defense authorization act, but the provision remained under which the U.S. National Archives created a separate collection of UAP records.
##Official finding
The fact that the concept appeared in a bill does not mean that the U.S. government acknowledges the existence of such beings. In its 2024 historical report, AARO, the Pentagon's UAP office, concluded that it had found no verifiable evidence that any UAP sighting was related to extraterrestrial technology, nor that the U.S. government had acquired or reverse-engineered vehicles of non-human origin.
##Debates and criticism
Claims about non-human intelligence currently rest mainly on accounts from witnesses and former officials, without publicly verifiable physical evidence. According to supporters, the evidence is hidden in secret programs and therefore cannot be presented. According to skeptics, however, this is exactly what makes the hypothesis unfalsifiable: as long as the evidence is not public, it can be neither proven nor disproven. Critics also argue that the broad concept, which does not name an origin, lends a scientific ring to claims that are currently not backed by verifiable data.