this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2023
110 points (92.3% liked)

Showerthoughts

29739 readers
1419 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. Avoid politics
    • 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
    • 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
    • 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
quinten
vatlark
forkball
Thekingoflorda
110
Now that AI generated text is mostly indistinguishable from human text, AI may start influencing the evolution of our language. (lemm.ee)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts
23 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Given that language is an important lens through which we see the world, AI could subtly alter our perceptions and beliefs over the coming years, decades, and centuries.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Being based on training models, how can it ever come up with new language when its trying to imitate already existing language

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That goes for humans too to be fair.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Humans have imaginations. AIs don't.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Currently.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Some humans more than others

[–] antonim 1 points 1 year ago

Human language change happens first of all because the reality that the language is meant to represent changes. I.e. you create a new thing, you create a new name for it too.

ChatGPT does not intend to represent a reality when it uses a language. It does not even know of a reality outside of its language.

Human language also changes due to various rather vague "economic" reasons, e.g. simplified pronunciation, merging sounds, developing some new habits in grammar that spread within one community but do not spread elsewhere... For example, we have extremely obvious proof that Latin developed into Italian, French, Spanish, Romanian, etc., so language change clearly isn't some magical process. On the other hand, if you fed a ton of ancient Latin into ChatGPT, it wouldn't even develop the pronunciation of medieval Latin used by priests, much less the totally different descendant languages that developed at the time.