[PHILOS-L] Uppsala Vienna AI Colloquium -- Jessica Pepp on chatbot perception and reference

[Nikhil Mahant]

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The Uppsala Vienna AI Colloquium is a series of online colloquium style talks focused on philosophical issues surrounding AI technology. Each talk addresses a specific issue of relevance to AI systems (e.g., intelligence, agency, responsibility, etc.) and is delivered by an expert with research background on the topic. The intended audience of the talks are philosophically informed individuals with an interest in the philosophy of artificial intelligence. More details about the Uppsala Vienna AI Colloquium are available at: https://uv-colloquium.com  

This month's talk will be delivered on 27th March, 1730 Hrs (Central European Time) by: 

Jessica Pepp

Department of Philosophy, Uppsala University

https://www.uu.se/en/contact-and-organisation/staff?query=N17-898 

The title and abstract of the talk:  

Title: Chatbot perception of and reference to the world

Abstract: Does linguistic reference to the external world require a basis, or grounding in, perception? Do today’s large language model (LLM)-based chatbots have such perceptual grounding? In this talk, I give a qualified “yes” answer to the first question, focusing on a notion of reference as a direct relation to reality and a broad notion of perception. I do not answer the second question definitively, but I propose that the answer depends on whether LLM chatbots’ processing of linguistic input itself can provide the needed perceptual basis. I make a start on assessing this by considering whether and how prior linguistic uptake serves to ground human referring, especially in the broadly Kripkean chains of communication that have also been appealed to recently to explain reference by LLM chatbots.

To register and to receive the zoom link to join the talks, please register by filling the following form: https://forms.office.com/e/1MxRxDRfW5  

(The zoom link will be emailed a few hours before the talk to those who have registered.) 

On behalf of all the organizers, 

Nikhil Mahant 

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