Summary of Does Thought Require Sensory Grounding? From Pure Thinkers to Large Language Models, by David J. Chalmers
Does Thought Require Sensory Grounding? From Pure Thinkers to Large Language Models
by David J. Chalmers
First submitted to arxiv on: 18 Aug 2024
Categories
- Main: Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
- Secondary: None
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| Summary difficulty | Written by | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| High | Paper authors | High Difficulty Summary Read the original abstract here |
| Medium | GrooveSquid.com (original content) | Medium Difficulty Summary A recently published paper explores the relationship between sensing and thinking, specifically in the context of artificial intelligence. The authors argue that it is theoretically possible for pure thinkers to exist, which lack the capacity to sense altogether. However, they also propose limitations on what type of thought is feasible without sensory input. In terms of AI, the researchers rebut an argument against large language models’ ability to think or understand, citing recent results in this area. |
| Low | GrooveSquid.com (original content) | Low Difficulty Summary Artificial intelligence (AI) can do many things, like process huge amounts of data and learn from it. But some people wonder: Can AI truly “think” without being able to sense the world around it? One group of experts thinks that maybe it’s possible for AI to think without sensing. They also say that there are limits to what AI can think about if it doesn’t have a way to perceive its surroundings. The researchers don’t directly claim that large language models (LLMs) can think, but they do challenge the idea that LLMs need sensory input to understand things. |
