[Paul]

So, I thought I just jot down some notes here about why I’m interested in the current flurry of AI activity we are seeing. I’m aware that this phenomenon is rightly viewed with some trepidation but I also see it as a unique opportunity to learn about ourselves.

1. I am interested in the idea that language itself can be understood as a highly distilled if inflexible intelligence, refined by successive approximation over countless lifetimes of use.

2. I see an opportunity to interact with a system that is fairly representative of LH functionality in order to explore in an implicit, open and educative way the strengths and limitations of this perspective on the world.

3. I am struck by the parallels between the experience of interacting with these systems and Iain’s formulation of the LH: good or even excellent at goal-directed, rule-governed activity, capable of crafting answers that conform to style and grammatical forms but lacks understanding, is inflexible and prone to inaccuracies, ‘hallucinations’ or ‘delusions’.

I don’t know what the risks of releasing these systems into the wild for competitive, corporate market-share reasons might be but I’m looking forward to hearing what anyone might see as relevant, concerning or hopeful about this development.