I like most accept, there is probably life elsewhere in the universe, but how intelligent? -nobody knows. It's possible there are some pretty clever things flying around out there. The first ever intelligent life - wherever it started would for a period of time have been the ONLY intelligent life. This being the case there is as much chance we are the first intelligent life, as anyone else. My particular definition of 'intelligent' refers to a 'tech species' - one that uses mathematics and engineering to gain advantage.
I am told the Dinosaurs 'ruled' the earth for around 160million years, I summize therefore that in the strategies for a successful dominant species on a planet intelligence is not at the top, just as the dominant male is not the most intelligent. On earth we certainly seem to have been the only 'tech species' ever and since Dino turned toes-up we seem to have had a vast array of species all dominating a particular nook or cranny. Till along came us chaps, there is evidence to suggest that at one point we (man) may have only numbered a few tens or hundreds.
If it had not been for that meteorite dino would still dominate the earth and we would still be scurrying around (at night grubbing out worms).
Is there intelligent life out there or, if life evolves the same way everywhere - are we alone with just a few pre-historic national parks out there?
Personally I have no idea whatever of the dispersion of intelligent life throughout the universe. I suspect it's 1 (just us) or higher. There is plenty to suggest life may be sprinkled around the universe there is NOTHING to suggest there is intelligent life anywhere else. since on earth only 1 out of the 3 million or so species that have ever lived shows it.