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Don't be fooled–LLMs don't reason

75 points · 159 comments · leopoldj

  1. f6v · · focus · HN ↗
    > Knowledge and reasoning are inextricably interwoven in the weights of the neural network—there is no independent, explicitly represented set of beliefs.

    I'm not sure I understand this. Do we have evidence humans have an independent set of beliefs not shaped by knowledge and reasoning? If so, where do these come from?

    I'm especially confused about a prior statement as a scientist:

    > Three shortcomings prevent what chatbots do from qualifying as reasoning (in a way that a scientist might recognize).

    How does a set of beliefs help with reasoning?

    > Third, while the chains of thought chatbots produce look like deliberation, research has demonstrated that the bots often concoct them after the fact, reaching an answer by one route but reporting another.

    We also often do the same as humans.

    1. Kim_Bruning · · focus · HN ↗
      Because he's writing about epistemologies: Sets of rules for reasoning over beliefs.

      In such systems, a belief is a proposition you accept as true. (provisionally at least)

      For example as a scientist, you probably use the epistemology called empiricism all day. In empiricism, beliefs are justified by observation.

      1. f6v · · focus · HN ↗
        > Because he's writing about epistemologies: Sets of rules for reasoning over beliefs.

        He’s making a bunch of statements without providing evidence. I’d be insanely grateful if someone who’s in that field could provide some here.

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