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Re:GPT-4 performs better at Theory of Mind tests than actual... by kelseyfrog on Sunday April 30, 2023 @06:48PM (#35767277)
Are you of the mind that there's some test, where if computers passed it, they would be functionally thinking, or more that it's ontologically impossible for computers to think?
Re:GPT-4 performs better at Theory of Mind tests than actual... by yladiz on Monday May 01, 2023 @07:35AM (#35771404)
I'm more in the former camp, and I would agree that if the computer passed this theoretical test, it could be considered thinking. We would also need to define what it means to think, since it's an ambiguous term; thinking could mean that you can explain your reasoning behind giving an answer (something ChatGPT can generally do), thinking could mean producing something novel based on your experiences/"training data" (something ChatGPT can't do), or it could mean something else, and I think if we define what it means to think, then we could probably create a test that can be used to consider something functionally thinking. Of course, this is getting into the realm of philosophy, and what does it mean to think, so there's not a simple answer here, but I'd generally say that thinking implies a degree of novel concept generation, which is why I wouldn't consider ChatGPT to think.

I could also understand an argument saying that it's impossible for a computer to think, but I don't think I'd agree with it.