100% agree on this. Right along side Halucinating AI is Biased or Racist AI which sufferes the same problem. Error. What we see is an accuacy problem because we aren't seeing the people coding AI intentionally adding ethical bias. What's funny is that there are three layers of bias in an algorithm:
1. Ethical Bias (typically an artifact of an org)
2. Measurement or Data Bias
3. Mathematical Bias (how we code our algorithm)
But again, it all boils down to error not ethics, not conciousness, not hallucinations.
You make a good point about the accuracy of the terms we use - and this from someone who used the word "Hallucinating" in an article sharing my predictions about AI just last week. I think that part of it is that because AI is supposedly "the next big thing" (another debate entirely), we have to find special words to describe it. I also think that part of it is because "hallucination" is an interesting word to say, read, or write. I love delicious words. Error is distinctly much more correct, it's just not as "fun."
But, to your main point about anthropomorphism - you point out something that's often misunderstood about AI. It's not actually *intelligent.* It's just using vast amounts of data and clever algorithms to predict things about the dataset it's querying, and presenting that to the user.
It doesn't "think" - It's just an extremely clever parlor trick.
I'll forgive you this once Paul. :) As a former PR executive, I can tell you (and anyone who's being sucked into the siren song of AI), beware of delicious words that come served on too fancy a plate.
So much richness here about AI and the languaging around it but I am paused thinking about your acupressure hallucinations. It immediately made me think of synesthesia. Not having it myself I have no idea if it is similar but it, particularly among artists, is something that fascinates me endlessly.
You know... you're the first person to suggest that connection Kathryn. I've always seen certain numbers as having specific colors. Some people's voices feel like they have texture or taste to them. My daughter also has these associations and she's an artist.
It seems so fascinating to me! So powerful and intriguing. Humans are so similar in so many ways and then so different in other ways ... the brains that make us all “human” also have these unique differences and I think that bridging that gap can be at the heart of creativity. Meaning that if we can work to articulate and express our unique perspective in a way that connects with someone else’s then something really magical happens. I’ll probably never see colors in numbers but learning about it broadens my own world. This happens for me too when listening to music with people who really hear music. I can’t ever tell different instruments apart for example but when people share that with me it changes my whole experience.
100% as you say... if that person can express the nature of their experience well, it really is an invitation into their world. My daughter has excellent pitch, can hear frequencies us older folks no longer can, and plays multiple instruments. That has given me a deeper appreciation for music and the effort it takes to produce a song. (I won't go into how maddening it is that musicians are making less money than ever before... maybe in a separate post!)
I have a weird thing where I see letters and numbers as having personalities. When I was a child it was extremely strong. At one point I was obsessed with the amount of ‘Rs’ I encountered in names of people and wanted to change my middle name to “Raphael” because of it.
Sorry. I’m writing this on my phone and had to stepped away.
Continued from last comment
When I played with my action figures it had to be in the context of a “frame story.” Such as I was describing a comic book or a movie. I preferred playing alone.
I was a little jealous of your hallucinations. But when I write my fiction, I am often visited by what I call “ghosts.” They come fully formed in my mind. The most significant experience was the eight year old child Dagmar. When I was writing the screenplay my absurd novel is about, the main character was so pathetic, I thought there must be one character excited to see him get off the plane when he arrives in Oslo. I was driving back to my dead-end job from lunch and in my mind I saw her holding a sign with his name on it, smiling, jumping up and down, a plastic Viking Helmet on her head. So she was born. I guess this happens to most writers. But those desperate visions (a luminous serpent for example) I put in the book for no real reason than I saw them (in my head).
BTW, I think this is an excellent article. The title alone is enough to give me food for thought (I’m a Blade Runner fan and have read PKD’s novel four or five times). I keep playing with the idea of responding to AI myself, but so much of it has been said. I appreciate the differentiation between hallucination and error. I agree with your analysis. Even a non tech guy understands the AIs aren’t hallucinating, but merely dumb. I’m getting annoyed with the personification of these digital constructions. It’s as if we are trying to make a digital Vincent Van Gogh so we can celebrate its eccentricities.
BTW, I think Mr. Error. His random appearance mud covered appearance speaks of the weird non-literal connections our human brains make. This is what we need now, more than ever.
Fascinating JD, thanks for sharing this intimate part of your writer's psych... I'm not sure how common this type of association or imprinting of personalities onto letters is but I'd definitely look closer into it. The human mind is deeper than the ocean and more intricate than a galaxy cluster, and we are all unique in so many ways. I know society imprints in us that need to "fit in" ... but diversity and being different is so much more interesting.
Thank you also for the kind words and glad you enjoyed the essay. I too love Blade Runner btw. The film has always felt like rich, thick molasses to me. With an undercurrent of wine. It's the visual aesthetic, the tonal quality, the music, all that.
I only saw them in my imagination. In some ways it worked out as a memory device. The personalities were honestly quite vague. None of them were threatening or anything. For instance “Ii” is unformed and strange since it’s only a line and not a lot of first names (in English) start with it. But it was also friendly because the letter appears in my own name (Justin). The most important letters were those that started at the beginning of First and last names. For another example J is the hero of the narrative. He is young, kind, innocent and wants to be like his heroes. I’m not sure how normal what I’m describing is. I honestly don’t know if my brain functions like other peoples or not. But I have a very good memory. (Continued on next reply).
The Hallucinations that I have seen coming out of LLM-based “AIs” are complete bibliographical references that do not exist. I would call an error if the date or one of the authors of the reference was incorrect, but not a title, plus authors, plus date.
In Neural Network-based computer vision, the hallucinations are the “AIs” telling that a patch of dirt on the floor is a person.
100% agree on this. Right along side Halucinating AI is Biased or Racist AI which sufferes the same problem. Error. What we see is an accuacy problem because we aren't seeing the people coding AI intentionally adding ethical bias. What's funny is that there are three layers of bias in an algorithm:
1. Ethical Bias (typically an artifact of an org)
2. Measurement or Data Bias
3. Mathematical Bias (how we code our algorithm)
But again, it all boils down to error not ethics, not conciousness, not hallucinations.
https://polymathicbeing.substack.com/p/eliminating-bias-in-aiml
You make a good point about the accuracy of the terms we use - and this from someone who used the word "Hallucinating" in an article sharing my predictions about AI just last week. I think that part of it is that because AI is supposedly "the next big thing" (another debate entirely), we have to find special words to describe it. I also think that part of it is because "hallucination" is an interesting word to say, read, or write. I love delicious words. Error is distinctly much more correct, it's just not as "fun."
But, to your main point about anthropomorphism - you point out something that's often misunderstood about AI. It's not actually *intelligent.* It's just using vast amounts of data and clever algorithms to predict things about the dataset it's querying, and presenting that to the user.
It doesn't "think" - It's just an extremely clever parlor trick.
I'll forgive you this once Paul. :) As a former PR executive, I can tell you (and anyone who's being sucked into the siren song of AI), beware of delicious words that come served on too fancy a plate.
So much richness here about AI and the languaging around it but I am paused thinking about your acupressure hallucinations. It immediately made me think of synesthesia. Not having it myself I have no idea if it is similar but it, particularly among artists, is something that fascinates me endlessly.
What a positively sweet thing to say! :)
You know... you're the first person to suggest that connection Kathryn. I've always seen certain numbers as having specific colors. Some people's voices feel like they have texture or taste to them. My daughter also has these associations and she's an artist.
It seems so fascinating to me! So powerful and intriguing. Humans are so similar in so many ways and then so different in other ways ... the brains that make us all “human” also have these unique differences and I think that bridging that gap can be at the heart of creativity. Meaning that if we can work to articulate and express our unique perspective in a way that connects with someone else’s then something really magical happens. I’ll probably never see colors in numbers but learning about it broadens my own world. This happens for me too when listening to music with people who really hear music. I can’t ever tell different instruments apart for example but when people share that with me it changes my whole experience.
100% as you say... if that person can express the nature of their experience well, it really is an invitation into their world. My daughter has excellent pitch, can hear frequencies us older folks no longer can, and plays multiple instruments. That has given me a deeper appreciation for music and the effort it takes to produce a song. (I won't go into how maddening it is that musicians are making less money than ever before... maybe in a separate post!)
Your daughter sounds like an amazing human ❤️
I have a weird thing where I see letters and numbers as having personalities. When I was a child it was extremely strong. At one point I was obsessed with the amount of ‘Rs’ I encountered in names of people and wanted to change my middle name to “Raphael” because of it.
Wow JD I think that takes synesthesia to a whole new level. How did you feel or see the personalities?
(Sounds like you might have met Mr. Error in person some time ago... he's got three R's in his name! So what's he really like, you know, in person? 😉)
Sorry. I’m writing this on my phone and had to stepped away.
Continued from last comment
When I played with my action figures it had to be in the context of a “frame story.” Such as I was describing a comic book or a movie. I preferred playing alone.
I was a little jealous of your hallucinations. But when I write my fiction, I am often visited by what I call “ghosts.” They come fully formed in my mind. The most significant experience was the eight year old child Dagmar. When I was writing the screenplay my absurd novel is about, the main character was so pathetic, I thought there must be one character excited to see him get off the plane when he arrives in Oslo. I was driving back to my dead-end job from lunch and in my mind I saw her holding a sign with his name on it, smiling, jumping up and down, a plastic Viking Helmet on her head. So she was born. I guess this happens to most writers. But those desperate visions (a luminous serpent for example) I put in the book for no real reason than I saw them (in my head).
BTW, I think this is an excellent article. The title alone is enough to give me food for thought (I’m a Blade Runner fan and have read PKD’s novel four or five times). I keep playing with the idea of responding to AI myself, but so much of it has been said. I appreciate the differentiation between hallucination and error. I agree with your analysis. Even a non tech guy understands the AIs aren’t hallucinating, but merely dumb. I’m getting annoyed with the personification of these digital constructions. It’s as if we are trying to make a digital Vincent Van Gogh so we can celebrate its eccentricities.
BTW, I think Mr. Error. His random appearance mud covered appearance speaks of the weird non-literal connections our human brains make. This is what we need now, more than ever.
Fascinating JD, thanks for sharing this intimate part of your writer's psych... I'm not sure how common this type of association or imprinting of personalities onto letters is but I'd definitely look closer into it. The human mind is deeper than the ocean and more intricate than a galaxy cluster, and we are all unique in so many ways. I know society imprints in us that need to "fit in" ... but diversity and being different is so much more interesting.
Thank you also for the kind words and glad you enjoyed the essay. I too love Blade Runner btw. The film has always felt like rich, thick molasses to me. With an undercurrent of wine. It's the visual aesthetic, the tonal quality, the music, all that.
I only saw them in my imagination. In some ways it worked out as a memory device. The personalities were honestly quite vague. None of them were threatening or anything. For instance “Ii” is unformed and strange since it’s only a line and not a lot of first names (in English) start with it. But it was also friendly because the letter appears in my own name (Justin). The most important letters were those that started at the beginning of First and last names. For another example J is the hero of the narrative. He is young, kind, innocent and wants to be like his heroes. I’m not sure how normal what I’m describing is. I honestly don’t know if my brain functions like other peoples or not. But I have a very good memory. (Continued on next reply).
The Hallucinations that I have seen coming out of LLM-based “AIs” are complete bibliographical references that do not exist. I would call an error if the date or one of the authors of the reference was incorrect, but not a title, plus authors, plus date.
In Neural Network-based computer vision, the hallucinations are the “AIs” telling that a patch of dirt on the floor is a person.