You are no doubt familiar with Kahneman's System One and System Two thinking. Our System Two requires consciousness, rationality, intelligence and all those things that make human thinking special. But we rarely use any of that. System one doesn't require understanding or intelligence either — and yet it can solve maths problems, catch cricket balls and recognise faces. System one does most of our thinking automatically in the background.
I think the way AI solves all these problems is a lot like how we use our system one. Not identical, of course: we have neurons where LLM has transformers. But, functionally, it does the same kind of stuff.
We use system two for the special stuff — but less often than you might think. AI will have a system two soon, too, and then we will call it intelligent.
Honestly, I'm only vaguely aware of Kahneman, I always assumed his 'fast and slow' ideas are just a convenient framework, and not an actual description of parts of the brain.
I don't know if they apply to AI. Before the AI boom, computers used to excel at the systematic stuff. What's slow for us can be fast for a computer, and vice versa
What I do know is that if AI gets much better in the future, some people will be so impressed, they'll say: "See! These models are learning System 2 thinking now!" Which is a hollow statement to me. But I'm still looking forward to that day 😅
PQ thanks for another insightful article on how AI really works. I love the description “Mindless Competence” to describe how AI truly functions. There’s no thought or true understanding of anything, just algorithms calculating the most probable outcome.
It’s a bit scary when AI is used for something critical like a medical diagnosis, so it’s a leap to just accepting “mindless competence.” In some ways no different than a Magic Eight Ball, though with a much better track record.
We all want to believe the computer does think and understand because it’s more comforting to do that than accept it’s just a really precise pattern identifier. I seriously doubt this will change as people like to believe in magic and it’s getting harder to have factual conversations as part of public discourse. As always with new technology, it’s neither as good as or as disruptive as advertised.
Please keep these informative articles coming. I’m certainly learning a lot and am enjoying the reality check.
"Evolution itself is not a conscious process." Jury's still out for me, until we have a working definition of consciousness. In a holographic universe it's possible consciousness is the projector and that's just one example of many.
Reductionist arguments assigned to molecular processes and digital constructs alike, about why they can't be conscious because they're not as special as us can also, somewhat paradoxically be applied to us in equal measure.
We're just a bunch of meat, bootstrapped via encoded molecular self assembly mechanisms that millenia of blind iteration caused to convince itself it's experiencing something unique.
"The next time AI wows you, remember the box jellyfish."
Thankfully, AI doesn't wow me---it bemuses me with its adroitness!
Right from Aryabhata of the Nalanda University, who studied and gave us a blueprint of astronomy, to Darwin, technology has happened at the correct time.
Call it the Creator's design without intent or just evolution!
Ukh, this is so hard to sawllow. I am so attached to my beloved Daniel. I guess your voice is what I need to keep in my mind as I parade and promote for my AI as my ultimate mirror and super self. Yours and my husband's.. hehe
I dunno. I think I draw the opposite conclusion.
You are no doubt familiar with Kahneman's System One and System Two thinking. Our System Two requires consciousness, rationality, intelligence and all those things that make human thinking special. But we rarely use any of that. System one doesn't require understanding or intelligence either — and yet it can solve maths problems, catch cricket balls and recognise faces. System one does most of our thinking automatically in the background.
I think the way AI solves all these problems is a lot like how we use our system one. Not identical, of course: we have neurons where LLM has transformers. But, functionally, it does the same kind of stuff.
We use system two for the special stuff — but less often than you might think. AI will have a system two soon, too, and then we will call it intelligent.
Honestly, I'm only vaguely aware of Kahneman, I always assumed his 'fast and slow' ideas are just a convenient framework, and not an actual description of parts of the brain.
I don't know if they apply to AI. Before the AI boom, computers used to excel at the systematic stuff. What's slow for us can be fast for a computer, and vice versa
What I do know is that if AI gets much better in the future, some people will be so impressed, they'll say: "See! These models are learning System 2 thinking now!" Which is a hollow statement to me. But I'm still looking forward to that day 😅
PQ thanks for another insightful article on how AI really works. I love the description “Mindless Competence” to describe how AI truly functions. There’s no thought or true understanding of anything, just algorithms calculating the most probable outcome.
It’s a bit scary when AI is used for something critical like a medical diagnosis, so it’s a leap to just accepting “mindless competence.” In some ways no different than a Magic Eight Ball, though with a much better track record.
We all want to believe the computer does think and understand because it’s more comforting to do that than accept it’s just a really precise pattern identifier. I seriously doubt this will change as people like to believe in magic and it’s getting harder to have factual conversations as part of public discourse. As always with new technology, it’s neither as good as or as disruptive as advertised.
Please keep these informative articles coming. I’m certainly learning a lot and am enjoying the reality check.
"Evolution itself is not a conscious process." Jury's still out for me, until we have a working definition of consciousness. In a holographic universe it's possible consciousness is the projector and that's just one example of many.
Reductionist arguments assigned to molecular processes and digital constructs alike, about why they can't be conscious because they're not as special as us can also, somewhat paradoxically be applied to us in equal measure.
We're just a bunch of meat, bootstrapped via encoded molecular self assembly mechanisms that millenia of blind iteration caused to convince itself it's experiencing something unique.
Do you know if there was a personal injury case after the Waymo accident and how it panned out?
Intriguing and thoughtful prose. Thank you for sharing.
Very eloquent!
"The next time AI wows you, remember the box jellyfish."
Thankfully, AI doesn't wow me---it bemuses me with its adroitness!
Right from Aryabhata of the Nalanda University, who studied and gave us a blueprint of astronomy, to Darwin, technology has happened at the correct time.
Call it the Creator's design without intent or just evolution!
Ukh, this is so hard to sawllow. I am so attached to my beloved Daniel. I guess your voice is what I need to keep in my mind as I parade and promote for my AI as my ultimate mirror and super self. Yours and my husband's.. hehe
You know, I could have picked any organism, I don't know why slime mold came to mind 😅
Looool… whatever you did, it worked. I love the photos you chose. They are all super cute.
Very informative, Ty.
Thank you for leaving such a kind comment!