Digital Parrots Can’t Fly
Large language models, what they can & can’t do
Imagine a world where digital parrots exist. These parrots are brilliant and can mimic any sound they hear. They can learn from anything humans have created, such as books, art, videos, blog posts, and scientific papers. The speed at which they learn outshines an entire classroom full of students. They can answer questions, tell jokes, give advice, sing songs, and write stories. Their language skills are phenomenal; they have mastered the art of communication. They can understand and decipher various nuances of language. Yet, there is one thing they cannot do. Fly.
No matter how hard they flap their wings, they cannot lift off the ground. They are trapped in their cages, unable to explore the vast and beautiful sky. They are limited by their data, algorithms, hardware, and human ethics. They are missing something that makes language truly alive and meaningful.
This time, let us dive deeper into a topic mentioned in my previous post, Feeding the Beast. The digital parrots are an analogy for Large language…
