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It doesn't matter if the GPT really "understands" anything. That's like pondering whether submarines can swim. The fact is, it is more general-purpose, and gen

by pornel 6y ago

It doesn't matter if the GPT really "understands" anything. That's like pondering whether submarines can swim. The fact is, it is more general-purpose, and generates text that is much more coherent than what we've had before. Decade or two ago even that level of apparent comprehension was science fiction.

jfengel 6y ago
Indeed, I don't know if you "understand" anything. I know that what you and GPT-3 are doing is rather different, and so it's remarkable that they seem even the tiniest bit similar, but it doesn't really matter whether one is "understanding" or not. Being so different and yet so similar, it's maddening not to know whether they're converging, or if it's a dead end, or even if it's going in some entirely third direction.
Udik 6y ago
> That's like pondering whether submarines can swim. It's an old adage. But it's less smart than it sounds [1]. Swimming is an action defined by its mechanics- you swim when you do certain precise movements with your body. Understanding (or thinking, in the original formulation) is a process that is defined by its consequences. The consequences of understanding are simply that you respond in an appropriate way to the original stimulus with speech or actions. To go back to the original metaphor, it's not about the specific movements of swimming, it's about going from point A to point B in water. And yes, submarines can do it. And yes, GPT-3 seems to understand a lot, in that it responds to a lot of inputs in a meaningful way. [1] Take that, Dijkstra!
EllyFant 6y ago
Of course it matters. Intellectual honesty is important. AI systems could affect large aspects of society. We should be clear about their limitations, and not be swept away by hype. https://twitter.com/rctatman/status/1292911729240727554 https://twitter.com/rctatman/status/1292911729240727554

by pornel 6y ago

jfengel 6y ago

Indeed, I don't know if you "understand" anything. I know that what you and GPT-3 are doing is rather different, and so it's remarkable that they seem even the tiniest bit similar, but it doesn't really matter whether one is "understanding" or not. Being so different and yet so similar, it's maddening not to know whether they're converging, or if it's a dead end, or even if it's going in some entirely third direction.

Udik 6y ago

> That's like pondering whether submarines can swim. It's an old adage. But it's less smart than it sounds [1]. Swimming is an action defined by its mechanics- you swim when you do certain precise movements with your body. Understanding (or thinking, in the original formulation) is a process that is defined by its consequences. The consequences of understanding are simply that you respond in an appropriate way to the original stimulus with speech or actions. To go back to the original metaphor, it's not about the specific movements of swimming, it's about going from point A to point B in water. And yes, submarines can do it. And yes, GPT-3 seems to understand a lot, in that it responds to a lot of inputs in a meaningful way. [1] Take that, Dijkstra!

EllyFant 6y ago

Of course it matters. Intellectual honesty is important. AI systems could affect large aspects of society. We should be clear about their limitations, and not be swept away by hype. https://twitter.com/rctatman/status/1292911729240727554 https://twitter.com/rctatman/status/1292911729240727554