I am citing, today, to the March 21-22, 2026, edition of The Wall Street Journal. Specifically, I am making it possible for you to read an article titled, "Why Even Smart People Believe AI Is Really Thinking." That's a "gift link," or so I am told. No "paywall" should prevent you from reading what Christopher Mims has to say about that subject. Just click the link!
Thinking that software "agents" that respond to our directions are actually "thinking," just like we do (and better, actually) is what Mims is calling the "Turing Trap."
The "Turing Trap" is something quite different from the "Turing Test," which is something that you have probably heard about. The "Turing Test" is a way to try to figure out whether or not a computer has attained human intelligence. As Mims explains, "if a person chatting with a bot couldn't tell if it was human, it might as well be declared intelligent." So, people are starting to believe that AI "Chatbots" are now just as "intelligent" as humans. People aren't able, really, to tell the difference.
Mims calls this a "trap," because there is a fallacy in this idea that "intelligence" is the same thing as "speaking." However, "speaking isn't the same as thinking, let alone being," claims Mims.
I encourage you to read Mims' article. Here's from his final paragraph:
It appears we have created in AI a compelling technology that hijacks instincts that are essential to our survival. It’s unclear where we go from here, but if today’s lawsuits over the addictiveness and harms of social media are any indication, we’ll potentially see years of disagreement—and damage—before AI companies face real consequences.
Real people. In "real life." Small groups of them, meeting in person. That is where the politics that remakes our world begins.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment!