I think the internet has left you far too jaded. I wouldn't claim to be an expert on AI, but I do have a degree in statistics and I work as a consultant. Implementing machine learning models is a part of my day to day life. This obviously doesn't necessitate rigorous understanding of the underlying math, but I know more than the average person. I certainly know what a Markov chain is.

The naivete I was putting forward was about philosophy of mind, something I know hardly anything about. I attempted to engage with you on that subject, but you eventually refused, instead shifting focus to technical aspects of the question in which you put forward many inaccuracies. I did get pretty frustrated being talked down to by someone who is saying things that are simply wrong. I should have made my knowledge base more clear at the outset, and been more clear about what I was hoping to learn.

The inaccuracies I'm referring to (claiming LLMs are lookup tables, are not neural nets, can not continue to learn, are Markov chains) are not "papercuts," they are fundamental to your dismissal of my discussion, and show a lack of understanding of the problem that I was hoping to discuss. If we're getting to the point of psychoanalyzing one another, then I might guess that you brought these terms up in an attempt to shut me down with math-y sounding words that came up in your casual reading.

My use of the word "think" was an attempt to be polite. I'll rephrase: you can not reasonably claim that existing LLMs have nothing in common with brains. The sources you have provided do not claim they have nothing in common with brains, nor do they posit any insurmountable obstacle to them becoming brain-like. YOU are hand waving, YOU are starting from what you feel should be right, and YOU are too focused on rhetoric to stop and examine if you might be wrong. We may be commenting on an article from one expert saying it's a bad idea, but appealing to experts in general agreeing with you is treating this as if it's a solved issue. It is not.

This was my first attempt at having a discussion on the internet in 5-ish years and I think you put me off for good. I understand given what you said just now (re: me engaging in Reddit-speak) if you're done responding. I don't intend to write another post, but I want to let you know that if do have more to say I will read it, just cause I think it's unfair to try and get the last word then take my ball and go home.