Microsoft researcher builds goat-powered LLM in Age of Empires II to argue AI is not sentient
By
Simon Batt
Summary
A Microsoft researcher built a goat-powered Large Language Model (LLM) inside Age of Empires II to demonstrate that LLMs are not sentient. The project, called "GoatLLM," uses in-game goats as processing units to generate text, parodying claims that AI systems possess consciousness. The researcher argues that just because an LLM can produce coherent text doesn't mean it understands or feels anything, using the absurdity of goats generating text in a video game to illustrate the point.
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Key quotes
· 3 pulledSimon is a goat. He is a good goat. He does not know he is part of a large language model.
Just because an LLM can produce coherent text doesn't mean it understands or feels anything.
The absurdity of using goats as processing units in a video game highlights the fundamental misunderstanding people have about how these systems actually work.
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