I am happy to see you all again. First of all, I love to wish you all the best in this 2023rd year of our era. I hope you may attend The Philosophy Class in good health during all lectures to come.
Our theme still is the philosophy of Materialism, or in other words the point of view that everything that exists is or is based on relations between matter.
In that context, I'd like to digress a little, for during the Holidays Break something important happened. Some even call it a revolutionary event. Maybe you have heard about Chat-GPT?
It is described thus: "ChatGPT is a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. It is built on top of OpenAI's GPT-3.5 family of large language models, and is fine-tuned with both supervised and reinforcement learning techniques." (WP)
In common language, it means, that there now is an AI system that you can ask really any question and that you get an answer of high quality.
But it can do more. Just ask it to write a summary of some book or an essay on climate change.
Of course, I immediately put this Artificial Intelligence to the test to check how good it would do in our class. Well, it passed the test but also raised some philosophical questions.
It may be obvious, that I wanted to know what it "thinks" about a materialist view of the mind. The answers were amazing. Here is my first question: What is the relation between the brain and the mind?
Chat-GPT: The brain is the physical organ inside the head of animals, including humans, that is responsible for controlling the body's functions and processing information from the senses.
The mind is a term that is used to refer to the mental processes that are associated with the brain, including thinking, perceiving, and feeling.
In other words, the brain is the physical structure that enables the mind to exist and function, but the mind is not a physical thing. -END-
Nice answer. Let's take it a step further: second question: Does the brain generate the mind?
Chat-GPT: It is generally believed that the brain is the physical organ that enables the mind to exist and function. However, the exact nature of the relationship between the brain and the mind is still a topic of debate among scientists and philosophers.
Some theories propose that the mind is a product of the brain's workings, while others suggest that the mind is a separate entity that interacts with the brain.
Ultimately, the true nature of the relationship between the brain and the mind is not fully understood, and more research is needed to answer this question. -END-
Chat-GPT doesn't want to burn its chips on this question, so it brilliantly starts off with "It is generally believed......" I forgot to ask it, what other beliefs it knows about regarding this issue.
Since the epic science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey", produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1968, we are informed about the possibilities and consequences of the use of Artificial Intelligence.
So, I thought, let me play it safe. Third question: Does Chat-GPT have a mind?
Chat-GPT: As a machine learning model, ChatGPT does not have a brain or a mind in the same way that a human does. It does not have the ability to think, perceive, or feel in the same way that a human does.
Instead, ChatGPT is a program that has been trained to generate text based on a given input. It can produce responses that may seem like they are coming from a person, but it does not have the same mental abilities as a human. -END-
And here is the moment of the first question mark. It is said that this kind of AI can be smarter than a human, but focus on this: "....based on a given input." And who takes care of this input?
The Dutch Social Service used an AI system to detect possible fraud. Are you surprised that the system was discriminatory and racist in pointing out possible fraudsters?
I had one final question. Chat-GPT said that the mind is not a physical thing. Well, at least it is a thing. Let's find out what kind of thing: Final question: The mind is not a physical thing, you say. Then, what is it?
Chat-GPT: The mind is a term that is used to refer to the mental processes that are associated with the brain, such as thinking, perceiving, and feeling. These mental processes are not physical things, and they cannot be seen or touched
Instead, they are the result of the workings of the brain and the nervous system. The mind is often considered to be the seat of a person's consciousness or sense of self.
However, the true nature of the mind and its relationship to the brain is still a topic of debate among scientists and philosophers. -END-
Although the true nature of this relationship is still a topic of debate among scientists and philosophers Chat-GPT offers us the answer: mental processes are the result of the workings of the brain and the nervous system.
Bingo! I'd say that this is a 100% materialist point of view. From this statement, you can deduce, that there never has been any thought about whatever,
science, religion, art, morality and so on that was not produced by the material brain, that is, by a human being.
You also could say, that everything we know and believe is only the product of our brain. In other words, happy New Year. There is a lot to come and think about......
Thank you for your attention again...
Main Sources:
MacMillan The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edition
TABLE OF CONTENT -----------------------------------------------------------------
1 - 100 Philosophers 9 May 2009 Start of
2 - 25+ Women Philosophers 10 May 2009 this blog
3 - 25 Adventures in Thinking 10 May 2009
4 - Modern Theories of Ethics 29 Oct 2009
5 - The Ideal State 24 Febr 2010 / 234
6 - The Mystery of the Brain 3 Sept 2010 / 266
7 - The Utopia of the Free Market 16 Febr 2012 / 383
8. - The Aftermath of Neo-liberalism 5 Sept 2012 / 413
9. - The Art Not to Be an Egoist 6 Nov 2012 / 426
10 - Non-Western Philosophy 29 May 2013 / 477
11 - Why Science is Right 2 Sept 2014 / 534
12 - A Philosopher looks at Atheism 1 Jan 2015 / 557
13 - EVIL, a philosophical investigation 17 Apr 2015 / 580
14 - Existentialism and Free Will 2 Sept 2015 / 586
15 - Spinoza 2 Sept 2016 / 615
16 - The Meaning of Life 13 Febr 2017 / 637
17 - In Search of my Self 6 Sept 2017 / 670
18 - The 20th Century Revisited 3 Apr 2018 / 706
19 - The Pessimist 11 Jan 2020 / 819
20 - The Optimist 9 Febr 2020 / 824
21 - Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream 8 Oct 2020 / 872
22 - A World Full of Patterns 1 Apr 2021 / 912
23 - The Concept of Freedom 8 Jan 2022 / 965
[13:29] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thank you Herman
[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): it is getting so so intelligent
[13:29] herman Bergson: My pleasure Beertje ^_^
[13:29] Al Michigan: yeah it is dangerous
[13:29] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): i think it's a bit creepy
[13:29] herman Bergson: yes Gemma....but its "mind" is filled by humans
[13:29] herman Bergson: It is creepy too
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): Hal was scary too
[13:30] herman Bergson: It is like that video manipulation where they take a face and can make it say whatever they like
[13:30] Al Michigan: if you define intelligence as the capacity off a brains to work out complicated problems,.. a machine cannot be intelligent
[13:31] herman Bergson: And that was 1968 Gemma...today it has become reality
[13:31] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i know
[13:31] bergfrau Apfelbaum: mind is memory
[13:31] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): I recommended it to you about 4 years ago as a topic here
[13:32] herman Bergson: A machine can have memories Bergie....Like your harddisk is stuffed with all your photographs
[13:32] Al Michigan: i doubt it.
[13:32] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): who are the humans that fill that "brain "of Chat-GPT?
[13:32] herman Bergson: Indeed Beertje THE BIG QUESTION
[13:32] Al Michigan: because AL, the A I computer in that movie, was way way smarter as this chat-thingy
[13:33] herman Bergson: Sorry Al, but this is not a chat-thingy
[13:33] Al Michigan: yes, beertje, i totally agree
[13:33] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): it is all software based on the questions
[13:33] herman Bergson: I had a computer problem...
[13:34] herman Bergson: Couldn't access two sites anymore all of a sudden
[13:34] Al Michigan: herman, what is ''this '' in your statement?
[13:34] herman Bergson: I asked ChatGPT.....got the perfect answers possible
[13:34] herman Bergson: this is four characters, AL
[13:34] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): this is a good page to learn about it beertje
[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/staff-writers/9-things-to-know-about-chat-gpt/
[13:35] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thank you Gemma
[13:35] Al Michigan: herman Bergson: Sorry Al, but this is not a chat-thing
[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): this is a good explanation
[13:35] herman Bergson: You can access ChatGPT with http://chat.openai.com
[13:36] Al Michigan: herman what do you mean with this in the copied line?
[13:36] herman Bergson: You have to make an account/sign in
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ahha
[13:36] herman Bergson: ChatGpt, Al
[13:36] Al Michigan: ah
[13:36] herman Bergson: It is scary indeed somehow,,,,
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yep
[13:37] herman Bergson: but from a philosophical point of view
[13:37] herman Bergson: in realtion to our theme.....
[13:37] herman Bergson: Al already was calling it biased....this ChatGPT....
[13:37] herman Bergson: and in a way he is right here....
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): not sure it is
[13:38] herman Bergson: If you see the answers I got....ChatGPT IS a philosophical materialist
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): all things for all questions have been entered without prejudice
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): you ask it answers
[13:38] herman Bergson: oh yes Gemma.....
[13:38] herman Bergson: That is impossible Gemma
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): not biased
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): gives the answer to your question
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): to the way you asked it
[13:39] herman Bergson: as an American....start a chat with it on equal rights, abortion and racism
[13:39] herman Bergson: just ask the mean questions
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): too exhausting
[13:39] herman Bergson: put it to a test and let us know
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): sigh
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): homework!!!!!!
[13:40] herman Bergson: ok...I'll do it ofr you :-))
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i will do one
[13:40] herman Bergson: Like the Fraude AI system we had here in the Netherlands......
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): I will do racism
[13:41] herman Bergson: There is a saying in IT world...Garbage in...garbage out....
[13:41] Anna Adamant Albion (anna.adamant) is online.
[13:41] Al Michigan: but this software already showed immense bias
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): that is what i said
[13:41] herman Bergson: that applies also to this ChatGPT.......
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): it depends on the question
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and how it is phrased
[13:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): only in english or other languages?
[13:41] herman Bergson: If it is real AI Gemma....
[13:42] Al Michigan: not only aggressively racist, but also political, it is very left wing politically in the answers
[13:42] herman Bergson: Here in class you can ask ANY question.....and you'll get a decent answer....
[13:42] herman Bergson: so this ChatGPT has to deliver the same at least :-))
[13:43] herman Bergson: But to be as biased as a rabbit....I loved the materialist carrot it threw at me:-)
[13:44] herman Bergson: Al...you got homework!
[13:44] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): do politics
[13:44] herman Bergson: Go to ChatGPT and have a conversation with it that shows that it is politically biased and racist
[13:45] Al Michigan: mr Bergson, can you call a conclusion based on logarithm... like intelligence?
[13:45] herman Bergson: You try to evade the homework????
[13:46] Al Michigan: oh no i wont, but it has been done already.
[13:46] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): so soon?
[13:46] Al Michigan: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-12-08/chatgpt-open-ai-s-chatbot-is-spitting-out-biased-sexist-results
[13:46] herman Bergson: Evidence, Al....that is what is needed in a serious debate....not hearsay
[13:46] herman Bergson: ahhh!
[13:46] herman Bergson: Cool
[13:46] herman Bergson: Gonna look at that!
[13:47] herman Bergson: ChatGPT is as I demonstrated philosophically definitely biased
[13:47] Al Michigan: :-)
[13:47] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ok
[13:48] Al Michigan: https://unherd.com/thepost/chatgpt-is-not-politically-neutral/
[13:48] herman Bergson: Good point is...it is biased in my favor...so it is not biased :-)))
[13:48] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:48] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:49] Al Michigan: https://medium.com/mlearning-ai/inherent-human-bias-in-chat-gpt-ed803d4038fe
[13:49] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): al
[13:49] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:49] herman Bergson: So...perfect start of the new year.....we have an AI ally
[13:49] Al Michigan: garbage in, ... garbage out.
[13:49] bergfrau Apfelbaum: thank you! Herman and class:-)
[13:49] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we don't have to think for ourselves anymore, we have that bot to do that for us
[13:50] herman Bergson: We have to stay on alert Al...
[13:50] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh good beertje
[13:50] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): could use a brain rest
[13:50] herman Bergson: Thank you all again..I loved this start of the new year with you
[13:50] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:50] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yay
[13:50] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank you Herman :))
[13:50] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): see you Thursday i hope
[13:50] herman Bergson: Class dismissed..:-)
[13:50] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): maybe tomorrow
[13:51] bergfrau Apfelbaum: ok:-)
[13:51] bergfrau Apfelbaum: byebye Gemma:o)
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