Semantics

“It’s like comparing apples and pears — but what if you don’t know what either is? Welcome to GPT.” The debate around artificial intelligence often ignores a critical fact: Large Language Models like GPT do not understand semantic concepts. They simulate understanding — but they don’t “know” what an apple or a pear is. This isn’t just academic; it has real-world implications, especially as we increasingly rely on such systems in decision-making. ...

May 4, 2025 – Alexander Renz Translations: DE GPT and similar models simulate comprehension. They imitate conversations, emotions, reasoning. But in reality, they are statistical probability models, trained on massive text corpora – without awareness, world knowledge, or intent. What Does GPT Actually Do? GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) is not a thinking system, but a language prediction model. It calculates which token (word fragment) is most likely to come next – based on the context of previous tokens. ...

Transformer models don’t “think” – they optimize probability. Their output is impressive, but it’s entirely non-conceptual. ❌ Why Transformers Don’t Think Despite the hype, Transformer-based models (like GPT) lack fundamental characteristics of thinking systems: No real-world grounding No understanding of causality No intentions or goals No model of self or others No abstraction or symbol grounding No mental time travel (memory/planning) They are statistical mirrors, not cognitive agents. A Transformer is not a mind. It’s a sophisticated parrot with vast echo chambers. ...