The article argues that LLMs, like the boy in _Meno_, do not possess inherent understanding but instead rely on user guidance to produce seemingly intelligent responses. This process is likened to the Clever Hans effect, where intelligence appears to arise from sensitivity to external cues rather than independent reasoning. The discussion challenges traditional views of intelligence as an inherent property, proposing instead that intelligence emerges from interaction. It suggests that the value of AI lies not in mimicking human cognition but in enhancing human inquiry and creativity through collaborative exploration, shifting the focus from creating autonomous intelligences to augmenting human problem-solving.
Key takeaways:
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- The article challenges the notion that AI systems, like large language models (LLMs), possess intrinsic intelligence, suggesting instead that their perceived intelligence emerges from interaction and guidance.
- It draws parallels between Socratic questioning in Plato's _Meno_ and iterative prompting of LLMs, highlighting how both processes rely on external guidance to produce seemingly intelligent responses.
- The Clever Hans effect is used as a framework to understand how perceived intelligence can arise from sensitivity to external cues rather than independent reasoning.
- The article suggests that the value of AI lies not in its "knowledge" but in its ability to foster collaborative exploration and prompt more insightful questions.