Michael Hout and Arryn Robbins at The Conversation:
When people think about what ChatGPT or other large language models are doing behind the scenes, it’s common to reach for the language of computing. You might assume there is a database, or a logical series of steps being executed, in order to provide a response to your query.
Picturing AI responses as akin to your computer pulling up a file is a sensible line of thinking. But it’s incorrect. Understanding the central influence of cognitive science in AI’s evolution helps explain why.
AI’s history isn’t only a computer science story. Fundamental advances that gave rise to today’s AI were brought about by people whose goal was to understand the human mind, not help you with your homework or travel itinerary. This distinction is important, because it helps better explain how these systems “behave” the way they do.
We are cognitive scientists who teach students about the interdisciplinary roots of our field, including its deep and often overlooked ties to computer science and AI. There’s a shared history that often gets lost in conversations about what AI is doing.
More here.
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