Hallucination is the wrong word to describe when ChatGPT or another generative AI model gets something wrong. Confabulation is a much better word. Confabulating seems to be how most people use large language models, even though enthusiasts want these models to do more than just talk to us. What value is there in an AI confabulator?
Great article, thanks for writing this Rob! This grounds us in the nature of the content that AI produces. And Geoff Hinton prefers the term 'confabulation' as well.
Also, I think we need an entirely new dictionary to describe Human-AI interactions. What do you think?
Hey Mike, better words and better analogies for generative AI is where my heads at these days. Why do we only think of generative AI models in terms of the human mind? Oh yeah, because that is how they are being marketed to us.
Coming up with new concepts for thinking about what these things actually do feels like important work.
Thanks, Rob. This essay has been eye opening for me. I'm starting to dig the term "confabulation" with its many nuances. Do I have your permission to cross post to my readers? 🙏
You did me this honor with what I considered my first serious attempt to write about these issues in my essay, On Techno-pragmatism. It was inspired by your Techno-Pragmatist Manifesto.
Great article, thanks for writing this Rob! This grounds us in the nature of the content that AI produces. And Geoff Hinton prefers the term 'confabulation' as well.
Also, I think we need an entirely new dictionary to describe Human-AI interactions. What do you think?
Hey Mike, better words and better analogies for generative AI is where my heads at these days. Why do we only think of generative AI models in terms of the human mind? Oh yeah, because that is how they are being marketed to us.
Coming up with new concepts for thinking about what these things actually do feels like important work.
Love this piece, Rob. Lots of magic here. Yes, let’s stretch language to fit this new reality. She’d these mismatched, misleading words as we stretch.
Thanks so much, Nick! Writing it put me on the track of some bigger ideas. We'll see where it takes me.
Confabulous
Thanks, Rob. This essay has been eye opening for me. I'm starting to dig the term "confabulation" with its many nuances. Do I have your permission to cross post to my readers? 🙏
I'd be delighted for you to do so!
You did me this honor with what I considered my first serious attempt to write about these issues in my essay, On Techno-pragmatism. It was inspired by your Techno-Pragmatist Manifesto.
https://blog.apiad.net/p/the-techno-pragmatist-manifesto