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Nature of Intelligence, Ep. 2: The relationship between language and thought

COMPLEXITY

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Language is Not Innate, But Emergent

Generative grammar's traditional view suggests that proficiency in language requires inherent biological wiring for understanding grammatical rules. However, the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) challenge this notion, as they can produce coherent and sophisticated writing without pre-programmed grammatical rules. This indicates that innate grammatical knowledge may not be necessary for effective language use. Steve Piantadosi highlights that while language does have rules, they are emergent rather than innate, reflecting a shift in understanding language acquisition.

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