The Simulation of Thinking is not The Act of Thinking
It’s like comparing a wax apple to the real thing; you can admire its shine, but take a bite, and you’ll find nothing but disappointment. This distinction is crucial in AI and large language models (LLMs). Despite their impressive mimicry of human conversation, these models are more akin to that wax apple. They simulate the patterns, the forms, and even the flavors of thought, but there’s no core beneath the surface, no proper understanding.
When an LLM generates text, it’s like a skilled pianist playing a well-practiced piece. The fingers move gracefully over the keys, hitting all the right notes, but the melody, no matter how beautiful, lacks the depth of a composition born from emotion and experience. The pianist knows the music; the LLM follows the algorithmic instructions. To think is to wrestle with the unknown, to wander through the murky swamps of doubt, and to stumble upon a truth that sticks occasionally. LLMs, however, never leave the paved road of pre-programmed paths. They navigate by statistical prediction, not by the light of insight.
LLM can present us with the phenomena of thought but cannot grasp the noumena — the things in themselves. It can describe the structure of an idea, but it cannot grasp the essence that gives an idea life. This is where critical thinking comes into play. It’s our tool to discern the limitations of AI. Ultimately, an AI might simulate thinking so convincingly (Which is already the case in some cases) that we mistake it for the real thing, much like we might mistake a wax apple for a fresh one at first glance. But no matter how close it comes, it remains, at its core, a mere facsimile — reflecting the appearance of thought but never genuinely engaging in the act of thinking.
That’s why we should always bite the apple. In this case, biting into it would be equivalent to critical thinking. It’s a suggestion and a responsibility we all share in this age of AI and LLMs.
Note: If it turned out that we were living in a simulation, my text would be invalid, and we would have to look at it from a completely different perspective.
More thought-provoking thoughts:
MINDFUL AI: Reflections on Artificial Intelligence
Thought-Provoking Quotes & Reflections on Artificial Intelligence
New Book Release: Beyond the Algorithm: An Attempt to Honor the Human Mind in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (Wittgenstein Reloaded)
Deutsche Ausgabe: Jenseits des Algorithmus: Ein Versuch, den menschlichen Geist im Zeitalter der künstlichen Intelligenz zu würdigen (Wittgenstein Reloaded)
