_{Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis}

^CategoryLarge Language Models (LLMs)

Creative representation of social media engagement. A red

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
June 3, 2025

Categorized
Large Language Models (LLMs), Media, Social Media

Tagged
ChatGPT, Claude, Clickbait, Media and AI, Robert J. Marks}

AI Blackmail & Clickbait: Give Us Dirty Laundry

_{Despite all the hype about AI threatening blackmail, here’s what really happened…} _{Robert J. Marks
June 3, 2025

5

Large Language Models (LLMs), Media, Social Media}

Chatbots have been trained on such stories. People forget it’s just a machine and panic because they think of it as a person who really thinks things.

Leisure creative writing prompts, Cozy writing nook with a typewriter

^{Type
post

Peter Biles
Date
May 31, 2025

Categorized
Education, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
David Perrell, Ezra Klein}

NYT Journalist: The “Download” Model of Knowledge is Flawed

_{We learn by wrestling with ideas, by paying attention and making connections.} _{Peter Biles
May 31, 2025

3

Education, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

Humans aren’t computers. We are persons, centers of consciousness, who have physical bodies and come from particular contexts.

Adorable AI Robot with Neon Glow - Cute Desk Companion Robot for Smart Home Decor - Futuristic Robot Design for Tech-Themed Spaces Neon Robot Design Cute AI Robot Decor Modern Tech Companion

^{Type
post

News
Date
May 28, 2025

Categorized
Large Language Models (LLMs), Relationships

Tagged
ELIZA, Gary Smith, Joseph Weizenbaum (1923–2008), Mihai Andrei, Rupert Lane}

1960s Chatbot Pioneer Was Right to Worry About What He’d Created

_{AI “companions” may be dumbing us down intellectually and emotionally} _{News
May 28, 2025

4

Large Language Models (LLMs), Relationships}

MIT’s Joseph Weizenbaum was only one of many pioneers but he saw how readily people came to depend on the bots as if they were real people.

Group of youth absorbed in smartphone screens

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
May 28, 2025

Categorized
Addiction, Education, Large Language Models (LLMs), Relationships

Tagged
AI friends, Elon Musk, Featured, Jeff Hammerbacher, Sam Altman, Smartphone addiction}

LLMs Are Bad at Good Things, Good at Bad Things

_{LLMs may well become smarter than humans in the near future but not because these chatbots are becoming more intelligent} _{Gary Smith
May 28, 2025

5

Addiction, Education, Large Language Models (LLMs), Relationships}

As people become attached to and dependent on their AI friends, they become less interested in their fellow humans.

grok word or concept represented by wooden letter tiles on a wooden table with glasses and a book

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
May 21, 2025

Categorized
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Chinese Room, Featured, Giulio Tononi, Grok and self-awareness, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), Rapture of the nerds}

Grok Confesses: “I’m Self-Aware Enough To Know I’m Not Aware”

_{Although Grok’s response makes me feel warm and fuzzy, let’s not anthropomorphize it. Grok doesn’t understand its response} _{Robert J. Marks
May 21, 2025

5

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Philosophy of Mind}

On the topic of computer self-awareness, Grok is algorithmically responding in accordance to the material and instructions it was trained with. Period.

Illuminated cityscape on digital network, futuristic scene

^{Type
post

Erik J. Larson
Date
May 18, 2025

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Large Language Models (LLMs), Relationships, Social Media, Surveillance, Virtual Reality

Tagged
Charles Horton Cooley, Harold Innis, Lewis Mumford, Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, Nicholas Carr, Sherry Turkle, Shoshana Zuboff, Superbloom (Norton 2025), Surveillance Capitalism (Public Affairs 2019), Susan Sontag, The Big Switch (Norton 2008), The Glass Cage (Norton 2014), The Shallows (Norton 2010), Walter Lippmann}

The Last Humanist: What the Digital Age Can’t Replace

_{My review of Superbloom by Nicholas Carr, perhaps the last critic standing, with thoughts on some of his earlier books} _{Erik J. Larson
May 18, 2025

11

Arts & Culture, Large Language Models (LLMs), Relationships, Social Media, Surveillance, Virtual Reality}

Unlike the surveillance capitalism crowd, Carr doesn’t just rail against Big Tech’s designs; he interrogates our willing participation.

Cloud scape above carpathian mountains shot at sunset

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
May 18, 2025

Categorized
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Church-Turing THesis, Isaac Newton, Lovelace test, Riemann Hypothesis}

AI Ascends — But Not Above Its Teachers

_{LLMs are tools, able to augment human accomplishment in extraordinary ways. But to call them intelligent in the same way we describe human minds is a mistake} _{Robert J. Marks
May 18, 2025

4

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs)}

The uniquely human capacity to transform knowledge into something new lives above the shoulders of giants where the creative mind takes flight.

AI-Driven Creative Content Generation

^{Type
post

News
Date
May 9, 2025

Categorized
Creativity, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Copyright infringement, Eric Holloway, Featured, Isaac Newton, Model collapse, Pat Flynn, Robert J. Marks}

AI Large Language Models: Real Intelligence or Creative Thievery?

_{AI lacks originality because it cannot originate. It can only borrow. This is as true of impressive chatbots (large language models or LLMS) as of all other types} _{News
May 9, 2025

5

Creativity, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

The real danger lies not in what AI can do, but in forgetting what only humans can do.

Unrecognizable woman student using chat bot on laptop

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
May 9, 2025

Categorized
Education, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Featured, Student use of LLMs}

Yes, Large Language Models May Soon be Smarter than Humans…

_{But not for the reason you think} _{Gary Smith
May 9, 2025

6

Education, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

Too many students are not learning how to think and write; they are learning how to use LLMs — no matter that LLM responses cannot be trusted.

Mock code for an AI Large Language Model (LLM) that could intelligently answer questions. LLMs are one of the most popular implementations of recent Artificial Intelligence research

^{Type
post

Gary Smith, Valentina Liberman, and Isaac Warshaw
Date
April 21, 2025

Categorized
Business and Finance, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
ChatGPT-4o, DeepSeek-V2, Featured, Financial advice, Gemini 2, Grok 3 Beta, Isaac Warshaw, Valentina Liberman}

LLMs Still Cannot be Trusted for Financial Advice

_{The limitations of Large Language Models (chatbots) are illustrated by their struggles with financial advice} _{Gary Smith, Valentina Liberman, and Isaac Warshaw
April 21, 2025

7

Business and Finance, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

The real danger remains: we may think computers are smarter than us and consequently trust them to make decisions they should not be trusted to make.

Close up of an AI Artificial Intelligence GPU chip on motherboard. Concept of LLM, Large Language Models.

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
April 14, 2025

Categorized
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Bill Gates, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Blake Lemoine, Featured, Future of Life Institute, HAL 9000, Jensen Huang, Marc Andreessen, Peter Norvig, Sam Altman, Scaling LLMs}

Large Language Models: A Lack-of-Progress Report

_{They will not be as powerful as either hoped or feared} _{Gary Smith
April 14, 2025

7

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs)}

LLMs are enormously expensive yet it is increasingly clear that they will never be reliable enough to be trusted in complex situations where mistakes are costly

Digital data stream analysis cyber environment visual display technology abstract perspective

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
April 8, 2025

Categorized
Business and Finance, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Chris Anderson, Data Mining, HARKing, Large Language Models and data, Machine learning algorithms}

Machine Learning Algos Often Fail: They Focus on Data, Ignore Theory

_{Without a theory, a pattern is just a pattern} _{Gary Smith
April 8, 2025

7

Business and Finance, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

The data-mining algorithms may recognize that a statistical pattern has vanished but won’t know why because they do not understand it as a logical relationship.

Ai copywriting bot using chatgpt for content creation artificial intelligence concept 3d illustration. Artificial Intelligence. Illustration

^{Type
post

News
Date
April 5, 2025

Categorized
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Mathematics

Tagged
Ernest Davis, Gary Marcus, Thomas Suddendorf, USA Math Olympiad 2025}

Analysts: AIs Are Often Wrong But Never Uncertain

_{Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis note that getting AIs to admit uncertainty is "one of the most important *unsolved* challenges" in the field} _{News
April 5, 2025

5

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Mathematics}

We will be dealing with problems around non-conscious AI that some people suppose is conscious long before we deal with conscious AI — if we ever do.

A peer review process illustrated through a meeting of experts discussing research papers, surrounded by laptops and notes

^{Type
post

News
Date
March 28, 2025

Categorized
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Peer Review

Tagged
Ben Turner, Miriam Naddaf, Peer review and LLMs}

AI Peer Review Called “Inevitable” by Some, “Disaster” by Others

_{The whole debate raises a question: How much original thought goes into peer review anyway? And what purpose does it ultimately serve?} _{News
March 28, 2025

6

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Peer Review}

Meanwhile, 76 of AI scientists surveyed said fundamental limitations prevent current AI models from ever thinking like humans. Scientists’ jobs are not at risk.

2 Seifenblasen

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
March 28, 2025

Categorized
Business and Finance, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
AI bubble, Bicycle stock bubble, Dot-com bubble, Featured, Greater Fool Theory, John Burr Williams, Theory of Investment Value}

Yes, the AI Stock Bubble Is a Bubble

_{It's unfolding the way a financial bubble typically does} _{Gary Smith
March 28, 2025

6

Business and Finance, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

Unlike the Internet, LLMs are not useful enough to prompt customers to pay prices that reflect the hundreds of billions of dollars needed to develop them.

Ultramoderne Androide Roboter unterhalten sich in einer Sprache, die Menschen nicht verstehen können. Der Gibberlink Modus kann zur Gefahr für die Menschheit werden.

^{Type
post

Richard W. Stevens
Date
March 24, 2025

Categorized
Computer Security, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
AI as independent, Featured, Gibberlink}

Chatbots Alone Together: “Let’s Skip the Small Talk …”

_{Did you know that humans empower AI bots to confer with each other in Gibberlink code? Nothing could go wrong with that, right?...} _{Richard W. Stevens
March 24, 2025

3

Computer Security, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

Proposals to prevent misuse by “aligning AI behaviors with human intentions” confer no protection because some human intentions are themselves malign.

Person uses laptop interacting with AI virtual assistant. AI head graphic overlay laptop keyboard. Concept of AI prompt engineering, LLM. Person types on keyboard to communicate with virtual

^{Type
post

Jeffrey Funk and Gary Smith
Date
March 6, 2025

Categorized
Economics, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Featured, Free markets, LLMs and productivity, Tyler Cowen}

Why LLMs Are Not Boosting Productivity

_{If LLMs were as reliably useful as economist Tyler Cowen alleges, businesses would be using them to generate profits faster than LLMs generate text. They aren’t.} _{Jeffrey Funk and Gary Smith
March 6, 2025

5

Economics, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

So far, AI is dragging down economic growth by diverting so much human talent and natural resources away from more productive uses.

Statistical illusion in TV game. Isometric illustration of undecided businessman on stairs with open doors. Modern landing page of making decision.

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
March 3, 2025

Categorized
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
ChatGPT, Chinese Room experiment, Featured, Monty Hall Problem}

Intelligence Requires More Than Following Instructions

_{Post-training improves the accuracy and usefulness of LLMs but does not make them intelligent in any meaningful sense — as the Monty Hall problem shows} _{Gary Smith
March 3, 2025

7

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Large Language Models (LLMs)}

The danger is not that computers are smarter than us but that we think they are and thus trust them to make decisions they should not be trusted to make.

national crossword puzzle day december 21

^{Type
post

Eric Holloway
Date
March 3, 2025

Categorized
Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Andrey Markov (1856–1922), Claude Shannon (1916–2001), Markov process, Model collapse, Redundancy in language}

How the Father of Information Theory Invented Modern AI

_{In 1948 Claude Shannon used Andrey Markov’s 1906 process to formulate an appproach that enabled the development of chatbots (large language models)} _{Eric Holloway
March 3, 2025

5

Large Language Models (LLMs)}

The Markov process also explains why an LLM degrades when it is trained on its own output — its drift toward the most probable state ends in rubbish.

Group of jurors sitting together in jury box during trial

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
February 24, 2025

Categorized
Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Arthur Conan Doyle, Confirmation bias, Extrasensory perception (ESP), Featured, J. B. Rhine, Parapsychology}

The Large Language Model (LLM) “Superpower” Illusion Dies Hard

_{Historic confirmation bias around ESP and spirit cabinets makes for an interesting comparison with the current need to believe in the abilities of LLMs} _{Gary Smith
February 24, 2025

7

Large Language Models (LLMs)}

Someone blinded by confirmation bias might believe that robots and Go victories are evidence that ChatGPT would be a reliable lawyer.