Why ChatGPT doesn't know anything

+ Candida auris: the deadly fungus spreading across US hospitals US Edition - Today's top story: It takes a body to understand the world – why ChatGPT and other language AIs don't know what they're saying [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 April 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Former prosecutor explains Trump’s 34 felony charges]( - [How Trump’s judge attacks weaken rule of law]( - [Millions at risk of losing free preventive care]( Lead story A toddler playing in a puddle gains a visceral understanding of A toddler playing in a puddle gains a visceral understanding of sensory words like muddy and action words like splashing. She also gains a sense of causality: plopping down results in a soggy bottom. ChatGPT and its artificial intelligence kin can generate strings of words that give the impression that they understand their meaning too. This is because the models are extremely effective at predicting which words go together in human language. For instance, they recognize that the words puddle and splashing are statistically likely to be paired. Without a body, however, large language model AIs have no conception of wetness, gravity or sound waves, let alone the joy of stomping around in a puddle or the discomfort of having wet pants. The distinction between having a body and not isn’t just a matter for philosophers to ponder. As Arizona State University’s Arthur Glenberg and University of California, San Diego’s Cameron Robert Jones explain, without a body [an AI can’t understand the world.]( This goes a long way toward explaining why ChatGPT has a way with words but can still make dumb pronouncements, such as its tip to be gentle when flipping a fried egg avoid breaking the shell. Eric Smalley Science + Technology Editor Words have meaning for people because we use them to make sense of the world. RyanJLane/E+ via Getty Images [It takes a body to understand the world – why ChatGPT and other language AIs don’t know what they’re saying]( Arthur Glenberg, Arizona State University; Cameron Robert Jones, University of California, San Diego Large language models can’t understand language the way humans do because they can’t perceive and make sense of the world. Politics + Society - [What Trump’s business fraud charges mean – a former prosecutor explains the 34 felony counts and obstacles ahead for Manhattan’s DA]( Jeffrey Bellin, William & Mary Law School False business records – not hush money payments – are at the heart of New York’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump. But not all the alleged crimes have been revealed. - [Reporting is not espionage – but history shows that journalists doing the former get accused of the latter]( Bill Kovarik, Radford University Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is far from the first American journalist to be accused of spying, a media historian explains. - [Trump’s latest personal attacks on judges could further weaken people’s declining trust in American rule of law]( Paul M. Collins Jr., UMass Amherst; Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, University of North Texas Presidents have historically criticized judicial decisions. But Trump is taking it a step further with potentially dangerous personal attacks on judges. Health + Medicine - [Deadly fungus Candida auris is spreading across US hospitals - a physician answers 5 questions about rising fungal infections]( Arif R. Sarwari, West Virginia University Candida auris is a relatively new addition to a family of fungi that can infect people. Most of these infections occur in sick, hospitalized patients and can be deadly. Science + Technology - [Macaque monkeys shrink their social networks as they age – new research suggests evolutionary roots of a pattern seen in elderly people, too]( Erin Siracusa, University of Exeter; Noah Snyder-Mackler, Arizona State University Many older people tend to trim their social circles and focus their social efforts on family and close friends. New research on our close primate relatives may help explain why. - [Life: modern physics can’t explain it – but our new theory, which says time is fundamental, might]( Sara Imari Walker, Arizona State University The key to understanding why life is not explainable in current physics may be to reconsider our notions of time and information. Education - [Student reporters fill crucial gap in state government coverage]( Richard Watts, University of Vermont Where regular reporters have disappeared, university-led statehouse reporting programs have stepped in. Ethics + Religion - [From goddesses and rabbits to theology and 'Superstar': 4 essential reads on Easter's surprisingly complicated history]( Molly Jackson, The Conversation Like Halloween and Christmas, today’s Easter traditions are a blend of Christian and non-Christian influences. Trending on site - [You can’t hide side hustles from the IRS anymore – here’s what taxpayers need to know about reporting online payments for gig work]( - [How white privilege plays into the first lady’s idea to invite runner-up Iowa to the White House]( - [Racist and sexist depictions of human evolution still permeate science, education and popular culture today]( Today's graphic 📈 [A chart showing data on how baby feeding practices changed during the infant formula shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic.]( From the story, [Infant formula shortages forced some parents to feed their babies in less healthy ways]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](