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gizmo686 • today at 2:14 PM • 2 replies • view on HN

What reason to we have to believe that LLMs are the closest model we have for how humans learn language.

We considered the hypothesis that humans are a general intelligence that figures language out by exposure. The evidence has consistently come back that that is not how humans actually work. A model where humans are hardwired with a lot of knowledge about language, then fill in the gaps based on exposure still appears to be far more accurate.

The only thing LLMs show is that it is possible to learn language de-novo.


Replies

emmelaich • today at 6:36 PM

I think it's far too early to say LLMs are not how humans learn language.

Regarding "hard-wired"; it's not if you consider that "hard-wiring" of an individual is the result of millions of years of evolution.

NaiveEmpiricist • today at 2:23 PM

> The only thing LLMs show is that it is possible to learn language de-novo.

I agree, but would add, "But not under conditions that humans learn language."