Does Creator consider a highly intelligent person to be duty-bound to use their intelligence for the benefit of all, while not harming the self in the process? What are the karmic implications of misused intelligence?

We are glad you pointed to karma as a factor with respect to outcomes for human choice. When one has gifts and talents but squanders them through a life lived in dissipation, idleness, and self‑neglect, there will be karmic consequences. In effect, a self-denial is a karmic consequence of an immediate sort for the individual because they will not gain the satisfactions of personal achievement their talent might bring to them, or the strength of character and the shoring up of positive attributes in having dedication, inner resolve, determination, steadfast loyalty, and passion in working to achieve a goal utilizing their talents that will translate into a strengthened and enhanced future, as those qualities will go into their makeup in future lifetimes to a greater extent. This is a good example of the karmic influences that constitute an individual and their makeup. If talent is squandered, it will be less likely expressed and on display in a subsequent lifetime. That is a karmic consequence to be sure and is, in effect, a kind of penalty because the person will be less well-equipped to have something of value to give both personal satisfaction as well as perhaps an economic reward. You cannot make a living as a musician without the talent to compete with others who are gifted in that way. This is true of every kind of endeavor that has value in commerce and can form the basis of foundation needed in a career of some kind. There is always a need to have an inner drive, determination, and to take the initiative, but one must also have the wherewithal to be doing something of value, to make a worthwhile contribution worthy of reward in order to make one’s living by capitalizing on the accumulation of talent and ability through hard-won life experience.