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

[Gordon Swobe]

I wrote that I believe "AIs running on digital computers will always be
unconscious tools of humanity, no different in principle from GPT-4 which
is already telling us the truth about the matter if only people would
listen."

By GPT-4 already telling the truth about the matter, I mean for example
that it reports that it cannot solve the symbol grounding problem for
itself and can report why it cannot solve it. I do not believe that GPT-N
will be able to solve it for itself, either, assuming it is running on a
digital computer like GPT-4.

-gts



On Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 11:29 PM Gordon Swobe <gordon.swobe at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 5:36 PM Jason Resch via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> > I think this explains a lot. You have a mistaken impression of what
> computationalism is if you think computationalism is the same thing as the
> computer metaphor.
>
> There are many more aspects to my argument, but that is where it starts.
> The brain/mind is not fundamentally a computer or information processing
> machine.
>
> In summary, computationalism is *not* the idea that the human brain
>> operates like a computer, but rather, that a computer can be made to
>> operate *like a human brain*.
>>
>
> Yes, that is the doctrine which might as well be hanging on the front door
> of ExI.
>
>
>> We know from the Church-Turing thesis that computers can replicate the
>> operations of any finitely describable system.
>>
>
> In my view, we can simulate the brain in a computer, similar to how a
> meteorologist might simulate a hurricane on a computer , but unless we live
> in a digital simulation ourselves (another religious doctrine), the
> simulation is not the same as the thing simulatied.
>
> > Ignoring present GPTs, do you believe it is possible in principle to
> build an AI super intelligence? One able to reason independently to such a
> high degree that it's able to invent new technologies and conceive of new
> scientific discoveries entirely on its own?
>
> Sure. But I do not believe the superintelligence or AGI will know about it
> any more than does my pocket calculator know the results of its
> calculations. AIs running on digital computers will always be unconscious
> tools of humanity, no different in principle from GPT-4 which is already
> telling us the truth about the matter if only people would listen.
>
> -gts
>
>
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