A satirical but serious reminder that Large Language Models like GPT don’t truly understand semantics — they just simulate it.

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.