I'm not sure about the 'peaceful' claim, that seems to me to be something of a romanticism. It's called the 'law of the jungle' for a reason, after all, e.g. -

https://www.livescience.com/47982-octopus-cannibalism-video-...

But I think it's true that human intelligence has made us have a greater impact on the world, both for good and for evil.