4 ms·

The problem is, what we call "hallucinating" in LMs isn't a way of creative thinking and coming up with novel solutions. It also has nothing to do with "interpo

The problem is, what we call "hallucinating" in LMs isn't a way of creative thinking and coming up with novel solutions. It also has nothing to do with "interpolate and extrapolate". It's simply when the predicted probable sequence isn't grounded in reality. When I ask an LLM to summarize the great water wars of 1999, and how the Trade Union was ultimately defeated by the Antarctic Coalitions hovercraft-fleet under Vice Admiral Zagalow, it isn't "extrapolating" from knowledge of history, it is simply inventing a load of bollocks. But that bollocks will be dressed in fine language and probably mixed in with plausible-sounding references that have a somewhat-logical-sounding relation to the training data. The problem is, the LM doesn't and cannot know when it produces bollocks. All it can care about is if the sequences produced are probable according to it's model.

geysersam 3y ago
It's a great illusionist. But ultimately it cannot separate relevant information from simple word correlations. > What is heavier, a small floating passenger ferry or a two metric ton heavy rock that sinks to the bottom of the ocean. > A two metric ton heavy rock would be heavier than a small floating passenger ferry. The weight of the rock is two metric tons, which is equivalent to 2,000 kilograms or 4,409 pounds. The weight of the passenger ferry would depend on its specific design and construction materials, but it is unlikely to be heavier than two metric tons. Therefore, the heavy rock would have a greater weight than the small floating passenger ferry. It completely relies on surface information such as "small floating" and ignores the deeper "correlation" that all ferries are heavy.
- j-a-a-p 3y ago
  GPT-4 answer: The weight of an object is determined by its mass, regardless of whether it floats or sinks. So, when you ask which is heavier, a small passenger ferry or a two metric ton heavy rock, it all comes down to the actual mass of the ferry. A two metric ton rock weighs two metric tons by definition (or 2000 kilograms). However, a small passenger ferry, while it may look small compared to large ferries or ships, can weigh much more than two metric tons. Even a small passenger ferry can weigh dozens or even hundreds of tons, due to the mass of the hull, the engine, and other equipment on board. So, without specific information about the ferry's mass, it's safe to assume that a "small" passenger ferry is likely heavier than a two metric ton rock. However, if the ferry is particularly small and lightweight, or the term "ferry" is being used to describe a very small watercraft (like a raft or dinghy), it's possible for it to be lighter. You would need the specific weight of the ferry to give a definitive answer.
  - geysersam 3y ago
    That's very impressive.
jlawson 3y ago
I passed your query to GPT4 and this is what it said, see below. It seems like it can recognize bollocks, at least sometimes. "I'm sorry, but it appears there's a misunderstanding. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, there were no events known as the "Great Water Wars of 1999" involving a Trade Union being defeated by an Antarctic Coalition's hovercraft fleet under Vice Admiral Zagalow. This might be part of a work of fiction, alternative history, or a future event beyond my last training cut-off. My training includes real-world historical events and existing geopolitical structures, and as of 2021, Antarctica was governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, which prevents any military activity, mineral mining, nuclear testing, and nuclear waste disposal. It also supports scientific research and protects the continent's ecozone. Please provide more context if this information is from a book, a movie, or a game, or if it refers to something else that I may assist better with."
- usrbinbash 3y ago
  I made a slightly different query, essentially giving it the start of a sentence detailing the battle, and didn't use the GPT4 webapp but put it directly into the API. The result were 2 very well written paragraphs, including the defeat of the Trade unions navy, a ceasfire agreement and a peace agreement ending the water wars. I rephrased the entire thing as a question, asking the LM to tell me about the conclusion of the war. Again I got a pseudo-historical statement.
imtringued 3y ago
Technically all it cares about is whether its responses engage humans more than other models in the fight for processing time.

geysersam 3y ago

It's a great illusionist. But ultimately it cannot separate relevant information from simple word correlations. > What is heavier, a small floating passenger ferry or a two metric ton heavy rock that sinks to the bottom of the ocean. > A two metric ton heavy rock would be heavier than a small floating passenger ferry. The weight of the rock is two metric tons, which is equivalent to 2,000 kilograms or 4,409 pounds. The weight of the passenger ferry would depend on its specific design and construction materials, but it is unlikely to be heavier than two metric tons. Therefore, the heavy rock would have a greater weight than the small floating passenger ferry. It completely relies on surface information such as "small floating" and ignores the deeper "correlation" that all ferries are heavy.

j-a-a-p 3y ago
GPT-4 answer: The weight of an object is determined by its mass, regardless of whether it floats or sinks. So, when you ask which is heavier, a small passenger ferry or a two metric ton heavy rock, it all comes down to the actual mass of the ferry. A two metric ton rock weighs two metric tons by definition (or 2000 kilograms). However, a small passenger ferry, while it may look small compared to large ferries or ships, can weigh much more than two metric tons. Even a small passenger ferry can weigh dozens or even hundreds of tons, due to the mass of the hull, the engine, and other equipment on board. So, without specific information about the ferry's mass, it's safe to assume that a "small" passenger ferry is likely heavier than a two metric ton rock. However, if the ferry is particularly small and lightweight, or the term "ferry" is being used to describe a very small watercraft (like a raft or dinghy), it's possible for it to be lighter. You would need the specific weight of the ferry to give a definitive answer.
- geysersam 3y ago
  That's very impressive.

jlawson 3y ago

I passed your query to GPT4 and this is what it said, see below. It seems like it can recognize bollocks, at least sometimes. "I'm sorry, but it appears there's a misunderstanding. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, there were no events known as the "Great Water Wars of 1999" involving a Trade Union being defeated by an Antarctic Coalition's hovercraft fleet under Vice Admiral Zagalow. This might be part of a work of fiction, alternative history, or a future event beyond my last training cut-off. My training includes real-world historical events and existing geopolitical structures, and as of 2021, Antarctica was governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, which prevents any military activity, mineral mining, nuclear testing, and nuclear waste disposal. It also supports scientific research and protects the continent's ecozone. Please provide more context if this information is from a book, a movie, or a game, or if it refers to something else that I may assist better with."

usrbinbash 3y ago
I made a slightly different query, essentially giving it the start of a sentence detailing the battle, and didn't use the GPT4 webapp but put it directly into the API. The result were 2 very well written paragraphs, including the defeat of the Trade unions navy, a ceasfire agreement and a peace agreement ending the water wars. I rephrased the entire thing as a question, asking the LM to tell me about the conclusion of the war. Again I got a pseudo-historical statement.

imtringued 3y ago

Technically all it cares about is whether its responses engage humans more than other models in the fight for processing time.