[ExI] GPT-4 on its inability to solve the symbol grounding problem

[Gordon Swobe]

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 12:09 AM Jason Resch via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

>
>
> On Thu, Apr 6, 2023 at 11:45 PM Gordon Swobe <gordon.swobe at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> I think you are begging the question, asking me to assume your
>> conclusion. I have no idea if brains derive understanding from the mere
>> statistical correlations of their inputs.
>>
>>
> Hi Gordon, thank you for responding to that question.
>
> Let's break it apart to see where there is either disagreement or
> confusion:
> 1. We agree that human brains have understanding, correct?
> 2. We agree that the only information a human brain receives from or about
> the outside world enters it as nerve impulses from the senses, correct?
>

I hope you understand that you opened up a giant can of worms, especially
with the second question. If you expect simple yes/no answers to simple
questions then I might disappoint you.

1. I agree that conscious human brains, aka minds, have understanding. That
question is fairly straightforward.

2. This question is more problematic, and depends to some extent on what
we mean by "outside world." We already had a miscommunication about that
question with respect to referents. I am not a strict empiricist, which is
to say that I do not believe that all knowledge is derived from the senses
where senses is taken to mean sight, hearing, etc. You've already seen me
write about how I believe along with mathematical platonists that we
discover mathematical truths and do not invent them. The square root of 9
is 3 and this was and is eternally true. It was true before anyone had a
conscious mind to contemplate and learn it. Does it exist in the
"outside world"? Is the platonic realm in the outside world?

Empirical science has been a great boon to humanity, but as Shakespeare
might say, "‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are
dreamt of in the philosophy of empiricism." :)

-gts
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