Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal Noam Chomsky: Buddhism, Ai, ChatGPT, Mind-Body
Aug 1, 2023
Noam Chomsky, a titan in linguistics and philosophy, dives into the intertwining worlds of AI, language, and consciousness. He discusses the implications of AI in governance and the limits of introspection in self-knowledge. Chomsky also explores the philosophical connections between language and suffering through Buddhism, while confronting the symbol grounding problem that challenges our understanding of morality. The complexities of animal communication shed light on human cognition, making this conversation as enlightening as it is profound.
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Limitations of Current AI
- Current AI systems are narrow, reproducing data and prone to errors.
- They lack the capacity for complex decision-making like governing.
AI's Comical Errors
- Chomsky's colleague asked an AI about himself, receiving a mostly accurate biography but with fabricated family details.
- Another AI incorrectly attributed a programming language concept to Chomsky.
Limits of Introspection and Perception
- Introspection is limited in self-knowledge, only revealing surface-level inner speech, not underlying language processes.
- Even perception is misleading, as shown by the moon illusion, demonstrating the limitations of direct observation.