We’re going to do a thought experiment called The Chinese Room. Here’s how it works:
Imagine a person who speaks only English is locked in a room. Through a slot in the door, they receive cards with Chinese symbols. They have a giant rulebook that tells them exactly which Chinese symbols to write back. They follow the rules perfectly and pass their answers back through the slot.
To someone outside, it looks like the room understands Chinese — it always gives correct responses. But the person inside has no idea what any of the symbols mean. They’re just following rules.
Here’s the question: Does the room understand Chinese?
Stand up if you think the room truly understands Chinese.
Stay seated if you think it’s just following rules without understanding.
Now think about AI chatbots. Are they understanding language, or just matching patterns like the person in the room?
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