How to Get Inside the "Brain" of AI | Alona Fyshe | TED

TED10 minutes read

Animals and AI can mimic language processing, but true understanding involves more than following patterns or instructions. Brain imaging reveals similarities in how brains and AI process language, but human understanding still surpasses AI due to real-world experiences and complexity.

Insights

  • Animals like dogs using buttons to communicate may not possess the intelligence attributed to them, as seen with Clever Hans the horse who appeared to do math but responded to cues.
  • AI models can mimic human understanding and communication, but the Chinese room argument highlights that true comprehension goes beyond following instructions, and AI lacks the complexity of human cognition and experience.

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Recent questions

  • Do animals possess human-like intelligence?

    Yes

  • Can AI models understand and communicate like humans?

    Yes

  • How does the Chinese room argument relate to language understanding?

    It questions understanding

  • What insights can brain imaging provide into language processing?

    Neural representation

  • Is there a connection between AI scratch pads and brain scratch pads?

    Some similarities

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Summary

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Animal Intelligence, AI Language Processing, and Understanding

  • People often attribute more intelligence to animals than they may possess, like dogs using buttons to communicate.
  • Clever Hans, a horse, appeared to do complex math but was actually responding to cues from observers.
  • AI advancements have led to models that seem to understand and communicate like humans.
  • The Chinese room argument illustrates that following instructions doesn't equate to understanding a language.
  • Brain imaging can provide insights into how the brain processes language, showing similarities in representation.
  • Neural networks in AI compute numbers to process language, creating a "scratch pad" of information.
  • Researchers have developed a method to predict brain scratch pads from AI scratch pads, showing some similarities.
  • While AI shows some parallels to the brain in language processing, it lacks the complexity and real-world experiences of human understanding.
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