jkf
2d ago
This argument smells like the old canard of LLMs not being able to do anything novel, not being able to do anything that they haven't seen before.
Well it's not -- LLMs are clearly useful systems, but it is equally clear that the way they accomplish things does not involve modelling the world.
LLMs don't make plans while evaluating tradeoffs and then do things to put those plans into action? I don't know how you can even believe that in May 2026. Have you never used a coding agent and had it plan a solution, seen it analyze different approaches with their respective tradeoffs, and seen it propose the option it thinks is best?
Using anthropomorphized language to describe something doesn't make it so. Does your car "analyze different approaches with their respective tradeoffs and implement the solution it thinks best" when you apply the anti-lock braking system?
jkf
2d ago
Twitter is not the world though -- maybe Twitter should actually run the experiment, with the consequence to being a losing Blue a permaban!
But seriously, Twitter has like half a billion MAU -- even if we accept the poll-takers as representative of Twitter, there are another several billion humans out there for many of whom "if you press this button you might die, if you press this one you won't" is a compelling case.
jkf
3d ago
It's unclear to me at which point even a human can be said to "model" chess.
Many humans of course do openings in a somewhat similar way; they memorize a bunch. The modelling comes in that a (competent) human will have memorized a number of opening variations, and will play into one that matches what he wants for the midgame; the LLM has essentially memorized a number of opening variations and then picks one using an element of randomness.
It's certainly possible to play good chess without memorizing openings; time constraints are the main reason to do so.
You can say: "Hmm, e4 -- he wants to dominate the centre with that pawn. I need to contest it; e5 would work -- or I could do it indirectly, like Nf6? But then he will just advance the pawn and threaten my knight; seems like a wasted move. Better stick with e5."
This takes much longer than "let's go for the Italian Game", but it's the kind of modelling that you need to do once beyond your memorized opening; LLMs don't do anything like that ever.
jkf
3d ago
I've driven from (southwest) Texas to Montana in a day; surely a motivated individual with a car could make it happen? Planes also exist, if one is not truly destitute.
jkf
3d ago
If the dumbest 40% of society are going to die, so am I if I vote with them. Am I missing something here?
Pretending to be retarded so I can be a part of a mass suicide doesn't seem like a great strategy; if it turns out to be actually so terrible (which I strongly doubt), I've certainly got personal options for dealing with a life-not-worth-living due to inadequate idiots in the world.
No, it chooses the best one itself -- autonomous agents at your fingertips man.
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