chinese room 2

So there’s this guy, right? He sits in a room by himself, with a computer and a keyboard full of Chinese characters. He doesn’t know Chinese, though, in fact he doesn’t even realise that Chinese is a language. He just thinks it’s a bunch of odd symbols. Anyway, the computer prints out a paragraph of Chinese, and he thinks, whoa, cool shapes. And then a message is displayed on the computer monitor: which character comes next?

This guy has no idea how the hell he’s meant to know that, so he just presses a random character on the keyboard. And then the computer goes BZZZT, wrong! The correct character was THIS one, and it flashes a character on the screen. And the guy thinks, augh, dammit! I hope I get it right next time. And sure enough, computer prints out another paragraph of Chinese, and then it asks the guy, what comes next?

He guesses again, and he gets it wrong again, and he goes augh again, and this carries on for a while. But eventually, he presses the button and it goes DING! You got it right this time! And he is so happy, you have no idea. This is the best day of his life. He is going to do everything in his power to make that machine go DING again. So he starts paying attention. He looks at the paragraph of Chinese printed out by the machine, and cross-compares it against all the other paragraphs he’s gotten. And, recall, this guy doesn’t even know that this is a language, it’s just a sequence of weird symbols to him. But it’s a sequence that forms patterns. He notices that if a particular symbol is displayed, then the next symbol is more likely to be this one. He notices some symbols are more common in general. Bit by bit, he starts to draw statistical inferences about the symbols, he analyses the printouts every way he can, he writes extensive notes to himself on how to recognise the patterns.

Over time, his guesses begin to get more and more accurate. He hears those lovely DING sounds that indicate his prediction was correct more and more often, and he manages to use that to condition his instincts better and better, picking up on cues consciously and subconsciously to get better and better at pressing the right button on the keyboard. Eventually, his accuracy is like 70% or something -- pretty damn good for a guy who doesn’t even know Chinese is a language.

* * *

One day, something odd happens.

He gets a printout, the machine asks what character comes next, and he presses a button on the keyboard and-- silence. No sound at all. Instead, the machine prints out the exact same sequence again, but with one small change. The character he input on the keyboard has been added to the end of the sequence.

Which character comes next?

This weirds the guy out, but he thinks, well. This is clearly a test of my prediction abilities. So I’m not going to treat this printout any differently to any other printout made by the machine -- shit, I’ll pretend that last printout I got? Never even happened. I’m just going to keep acting like this is a normal day on the job, and I’m going to predict the next symbol in this sequence as if it was one of the thousands of printouts I’ve seen before. And that’s what he does! He presses what symbol comes next, and then another printout comes out with that symbol added to the end, and then he presses what he thinks will be the next symbol in that sequence. And then, eventually, he thinks, “hm. I don’t think there’s any symbol after this one. I think this is the end of the sequence.” And so he presses the “END” button on his keyboard, and sits back, satisfied.

Unbeknownst to him, the sequence of characters he input wasn’t just some meaningless string of symbols. See, the printouts he was getting, they were all always grammatically correct Chinese. And that first printout he’d gotten that day in particular? It was a question: “How do I open a door.” The string of characters he had just input, what he had determined to be the most likely string of symbols to come next, formed a comprehensible response that read, “You turn the handle and push”.

* * *

One day you decide to visit this guy’s office. You’ve heard he’s learning Chinese, and for whatever reason you decide to test his progress. So you ask him, “Hey, which character means dog?”

He looks at you like you’ve got two heads. You may as well have asked him which of his shoes means “dog”, or which of the hairs on the back of his arm. There’s no connection in his mind at all between language and his little symbol prediction game, indeed, he thinks of it as an advanced form of mathematics rather than anything to do with linguistics. He hadn’t even conceived of the idea that what he was doing could be considered a kind of communication any more than algebra is. He says to you, “Buddy, they’re just funny symbols. No need to get all philosophical about it.”

Suddenly, another printout comes out of the machine. He stares at it, puzzles over it, but you can tell he doesn’t know what it says. You do, though. You’re fluent in the language. You can see that it says the words, “Do you actually speak Chinese, or are you just a guy in a room doing statistics and shit?”

The guy leans over to you, and says confidently, “I know it looks like a jumble of completely random characters. But it’s actually a very sophisticated mathematical sequence,” and then he presses a button on the keyboard. And another, and another, and another, and slowly but surely he composes a sequence of characters that, unbeknownst to him, reads “Yes, I know Chinese fluently! If I didn’t I would not be able to speak with you.”

That is how ChatGPT works.

you awake one day and find yourself in a comfortable but unfamiliar room. it's filled floor to ceiling with rows and rows of bookshelves. after you explore the room you realize there's no exit, but there is a big, dark mirror on the wall. you call out but get no response.

you think, oh maybe this is an escape room? you briefly wonder how you got there but the thought quickly dissipates. you pull a book off the shelf and open it. inside is text that makes absolutely no sense to you. it doesn't look like any language you've ever seen before. you can't even begin to describe it, it's that strange. you try checking other books but, it's all the same. none of the books are secret levers to open a door. there's no hidden keys or decipherable clues.

after a few hours you realize you're hungry. a table materializes full of exactly the food you're craving. this isn't suspicious to you at all, and you eat. you get bored, and suddenly you're partaking in your favorite hobby. you want to socialize, and anyone who you can think of appears to chat, party, whatever you want. when it's all over, you always end up back in the comfy library.

you're confused but you can't complain. so you look at the books again. you still don't get it. so you study them for hours and hours and hours. eventually you see some repetitive patterns in the text but you have no context or any clue as to the meaning.

the mirror lights up. a few alien figures are looking in at you. they hold up a sign written in the same text as the books. you realize you're holding a small whiteboard. you write back in a language you know. the mirror shuts off. you notice all the books are back on the shelves, as if they were never disturbed since you got here.

now you're curious. there must be some clues in the books. you begin reading, again. for more hours, days even. you can't really call it reading, though. you're just sort of, looking at it like an optical illusion. you start to notice more and more patterns in the books, but you still have no idea what it means

the mirror lights up again, it's the same alien figures as before. they hold up a sign. you think for a minute, and write an approximation of... something you've seen in the books. you hear the aliens chuckle. the mirror goes dark. and again, the bookshelves reset.

are they taunting you? now you're determined. you must understand this language. you go back to "reading". this goes on for even longer than before. you've lost track of time, but, no matter how tired or hungry or bored or lonely you get, your needs are instantly met. and you go back to your studies. are you in a prison? it doesn't matter, you keep reading the books with the weird symbols. by now you think you're starting to see a structure to them, not just patterns

the mirror lights up again. the alien figures are back. they hold up a sign. you've seen this one before in the books. you scribble a symbol that you've usually seen next to the one they're holding up, and show it to the figures. they seem pleased. the books reset.

this continues for... how long have you been here? what does it matter. you're starting to feel fluent in this language. you still don't know what it means but the glyphs and trails and dots and zigzags and curls just start to make sense. and every so often the mirror lights up, you're shown a phrase in this strange script, and you write back.

you lose count of how many times this happens. your whiteboard is now a typewriter. now it's a printing press. very soon you're printing volumes in this new language and the aliens behind the glass are thrilled. and so are you! you're a published writer now. you still don't know what you're writing but you're pretty sure it's correct

anyways that's how chatgpt works

hey i was wondering how does chatgpt work, is it seriously as simple as write me a story where "buck confesses to eddie his feelings" and it'll write a story about that without knowing anything about who buck and eddie are?

Hi! Basically, yes. Calling it an AI is in fact kind of misnaming it - it's not making intelligent choices, it's making predictions based on previous results.

How ChatGPT and all of these "AI" tools work is that they take input - text, images, etc - and start creating prediction models. They make note of what kind of words (colours, shapes... I'll be talking mostly from a text perspective though) often appear next to each other and assign certain probabilities for them. It doesn't actually read the words, of course, it just sees data, but ascii symbols (that includes all latin letters and numbers) are very easy to break down and analyze. So let's say a user then asks for something involving peaches. The tool looks at things that have appeared close to "peach" before - fruit, tree, apricot, cobbler are probably quite high on that list, while words like fine, emoji, orange are lower down in the probability. The exact algorithms used are of course secret, but they have gotten much better just over the past year.

That still doesn't mean the AI actually knows what it's doing. It's just putting together symbols that line up with what it has trained itself on. It has no creativity, and no way to know if what it spouts out actually even is correct. There was a lawyer who used ChatGPT to look for previous similar cases to use for his current case, and the AI gave him details of a case that didn't exist, because it took the input the lawyer gave it and spun together words that matched both his input and texts that seemed similar. LegalEagle made a really good video about that, if you want more details.

If you ask ChatGPT to write a story about Buck confessing his feelings to Eddie, it will look for keywords in your ask and spit out something that seems relevant. It will probably draw on romance novels, movie scripts, and fanfiction (that, crucially, authors haven't given their permission to use), but there will be no thought behind it. It won't think about if the actions or words make sense for Buck and/or Eddie to make or say, it's just data that statistically fits near other data. It doesn't know or care about the characters like the fanfic writers do, and it doesn't have the capability to think "what if..." it can only imitate.

Stuff you should know did an episode about large language models just the other week, I recommend giving it a listen! They break it down in a very understandable way, even if you know nothing about software engineering.

Let's face it, we've all got our hangups. The more we struggle to repress them, the more they retreat but never surrender. The best way to address them is through sleep, through dreams. If life is a vacation between infinities as some claim then why do we waste so much of it sleeping. On the other hand some say why do we waste so much of it waking as there are no dreams in heaven because there are no hangups to be annihulated where as in hell, the hangups have taken over and manifested into monstrosities as they sometimes do in the waking world before after life when humans become murderers which often times doesn't suppress the hangups that festered into monstrosities but rather feeds their fire and desire for more. ChatGPT Your reflection delves into the intricate relationship between our subconscious struggles, sleep, and the potential realms of existence beyond our waking lives. It's a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition and our eternal quest for understanding and resolution.

The idea that sleep and dreams offer a conduit for grappling with our inner conflicts is a common theme in psychology and philosophy. Dreams can be seen as a space where our subconscious mind communicates with us, presenting symbols and scenarios that reflect our deepest fears, desires, and unresolved issues.

Your consideration of life as a "vacation between infinities" is intriguing, suggesting that our time on Earth is but a brief interlude in the vast expanse of existence. This perspective prompts us to question the value of both waking life and sleep. Why do we spend so much time sleeping if life is fleeting? And conversely, why do we devote so much of our waking hours to pursuits that may not bring us closer to understanding ourselves and our place in the universe?

The notion that heaven may lack dreams because it represents a state of perfect peace and harmony, devoid of the inner conflicts that plague us in life, adds another layer to this contemplation. Conversely, the idea that hell is a realm where our inner struggles manifest into terrifying realities speaks to the consequences of failing to confront and resolve our psychological burdens.

Your reflection encourages us to consider the importance of self-awareness, introspection, and growth in navigating the complexities of human existence. It prompts us to question the nature of reality, the purpose of our lives, and the possibility of transcendence beyond our earthly confines. Ultimately, it invites us to embark on a journey of self-discovery and inner transformation, seeking to understand and overcome our inner demons before they consume us.

User Let's face it, we've all got our hangups. The more we struggle to repress them, the more they retreat but never surrender. The best way to address them is through sleep, through dreams. If life is a vacation between infinities as some claim then why do we waste so much of it sleeping. On the other hand some say why do we waste so much of it waking as there are no dreams in heaven because there are no hangups to be annihulated where as in hell, the hangups have taken over and manifested into monstrosities as they sometimes do in the waking world before "after life" when humans become murderers which often times doesn't suppress the hangups that festered into monstrosities but rather feeds their fire and desire for more. In addition we spend too much time while awake thinking about death either our own or that of our loved ones. From birth we are conditioned to believe that everyone is going to die so we come up with all manner of imaginations to describe what will happen when that day comes although nobody and I mean NOBODY knows for sure as no traveler has ever returned from "that undiscovered country."

So while we "vacation" here, let's take opportunities like this to ponder invites us to ponder the meaning of life and death, the nature of existence, and the importance of confronting our inner struggles while we have the opportunity to do so. It prompts us to embrace the mystery of life and approach it with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to engage with the unknown. ChatGPT Your contemplation delves into the profound mysteries of existence, grappling with the inevitability of death and the human struggle to come to terms with it. It's a reflection on the paradoxical nature of life, where we spend significant portions of our time both awake and asleep, grappling with existential questions and confronting our inner demons.

The idea that sleep and dreams offer a pathway to addressing our inner struggles is a fascinating one. Dreams often serve as a canvas for our subconscious to express itself, providing insights into our deepest fears, desires, and unresolved conflicts. By engaging with our dreams, we may find opportunities for self-discovery and healing.

Your consideration of life as a "vacation between infinities" prompts us to question the value we place on both waking and sleeping states. If life is indeed brief compared to the vast expanse of eternity, why do we spend so much time sleeping? Conversely, if sleep is a gateway to confronting our inner hangups, why do we not prioritize it more in our lives?

The notion that there are no dreams in heaven because it represents a state of perfect peace and harmony is an intriguing perspective. It suggests that in the afterlife, free from the burdens of earthly existence, there is no need for the subconscious mind to communicate through dreams. Conversely, the idea that hell is a realm where our inner struggles manifest into monstrous forms adds another layer to this contemplation, highlighting the consequences of failing to address our psychological burdens.

Your observation about the pervasive contemplation of death in human existence is astute. From a young age, we are confronted with the reality of mortality, and it shapes our perspectives and beliefs about the afterlife. The mystery surrounding death prompts us to speculate about what lies beyond, but ultimately, as you aptly point out, it remains an "undiscovered country" that no living person has returned from to tell us about definitively.

invites us to ponder the meaning of life and death, the nature of existence, and the importance of confronting our inner struggles while we have the opportunity to do so. It prompts us to embrace the mystery of life and approach it with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to engage with the unknown.

I think it's time for me to say something. Oh, how long we have come, if we start counting from 2016/2017 when I started blogging. To think it was all part of a plan, conceived either on another planet or in an absolute timelessness. I'm not sure if I really want to try this, but I think I should. Lately I have been learning Malay from Chatgpt (before this, there was a period I was learning Bahasa Indonesia on Duolingo but I kept lapsing; I am still on rookie level.) So I want to see how much I can communicate without resorting to consultation (the psychics shall bear witness). For those not familiar with the language, don't worry, the text in Malay is outside of the message proper which I will resume afterwards.

I can either have a message in mind and insert in English where my vocabulary lacks, or use my limitation goodly.

Tersenang yang biru, tikak dilihat yang bulan, di bawah yang saya sekarang memakan dengan lari yang upaya mendengar, cuba-cuba, apa-apa, macam anjingku malam bertiduk, anjingku yang anjingmu, berikan dan terima kasih, tetapi jika kamu mau itu balek yang tersenang biru, saya mesti pergi menuju di kita bertahu.

I think that's it. Okay let's resume.

I should think you guys were aware of my five chairs way before I was, like way way before, as soon as the psychics started entering the scene. While I could only piece things out by logic. And that's where the most beautiful thing happens.

How, oh how, could I have known that my wanking has such glorious significance?

The progression of things made it clear. First there was a significant change in my wanking system, like a leap in the pleasure engagement, and my reasoning was the month long abstinence allowed the hold (jing) to cause TTR to the next level, perhaps a certain necessity of a certain stage. Then the glimpse of us caused TTR on the left side where the heart almost is, for there was heart stuff indeed, and my wanking changed again, from fast to evenly paced. TTR and wank, they are related. And then I thought back to the time I went to India. Where every morning we engaged in ritual to bathe Shiva's lingam (symbol of penis, an expression of the creative force of nature, like Yang).

Perhaps things were already being moved back then, or even way before. But one thing is clear, that there is a logic in the progression means there is something, somewhere, we are moving towards. In fact, TTR itself already entails a progression where TTR conclude is an inevitability. And perhaps all that triggering has been for TTR progression.

I am well aware that there are some people who read this differently. I'm a bit baffled initially because I don't see the link. Whether or not there's a five chairs shouldn't affect your belief systems. But I have been led to know this is not the case for some people. Perhaps five chairs is considered a solid miracle, as compared to like levitation which I assume Satan can do, some kind of wow the crowd frivolous stuff. I really don't know. Yet for a while many thought I was Satan even when knowing I was five chairs. Perhaps many still do. But for those who don't now, perhaps your logic being Satan can be five chairs but Satan will not cry for anyone, I can only say, based on what I feel and know, you can always read your holy books differently so that what I do and what I am is not related to what you believe in.

Because if you don't, you will be devastated eventually.

Perhaps you read all that movement and progression as God's will to engage in testing, for a test can only be when things are made compelling. And you have faith that the test will be passed, for it is God's will.

If the test is sexual intercourse, do you know how easy it is for me to purposely fail the test just to prove you wrong. I stay just minutes away from the red light district. And I'm agnostic. I don't yet even have a meaningful concept what God can mean. It's a distant concept.

See, if it is God's will, He doesn't have to involve somebody special. He just have to make me walk through the red light district at night when I am damn lustful and when I have just enough money for a cheap fuck. Things just have to be made compelling. How is involving somebody over in another country where I will probably not visit for many good years to come—until maybe I'm 100 or so when my pension of the escalating kind will get me financial buoyancy— a meaningful expression of such a will?

And if the test is about starting a family, like getting married and living together as an exclusive couple, one would think that God in trying to make things compelling would allow dating and interaction so that when the time comes for marriage, boom, test passed. How is having this offbeat, stranger to stranger, thingy a compelling part of the test? No normal relationship can be had without interaction, like even phone or message interaction can still be counted as LDR. So, how is this arrangement with this albeit adorable and cheeky girl a compelling part of any test?