Meaning in the Age of Large Language Models

Explore the profound impact of large language models on theories of human language in this thought-provoking lecture by Steven Piantadosi from UC Berkeley. Delve into how these models challenge conventional ideas about grammar and language acquisition. Examine the compelling perspective they offer on semantics and conceptual representation. Discover how language models may possess "meanings" in a way analogous to human words and concepts, implementing "conceptual role" theories partially accessible through textual statistics, even without direct interaction with the physical world.