stochastic parrot noun [C]
UK /stəˌkæs.tɪk ˈpær.ət/ US /stəˌkæs.tɪk ˈper.ət/
a way of describing a large language model, because it can produce text that sounds natural but it does not understand what it is saying
ChatGPT is the latest version of a type of generative AI called large language models (LLMs). These models are very large (and deep) neural networks that are notoriously expensive to train. Such models have been called “stochastic parrots” because they have no understanding of what they say. They can’t tell you where their answers come from and will propagate misinformation if [they have] enough frequency and buzz.
[forbes.com, 6 June 2023]
anthrobot noun [C]
UK /ˈæn.θrə.bɒt/ US /ˈæn.θrə.bɑːt/
a very small robot made out of human cells
Scientists have created tiny living robots from human cells that can move around in a lab dish and may one day be able to help heal wounds or damaged tissue … A team at Tufts University and Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have dubbed these creations anthrobots. The research builds on earlier work from some of the same scientists, who made the first living robots, or xenobots, from stem cells sourced from embryos of the African clawed frog.
[cnn.com, 30 November 2023]
See also xenobot
model collapse noun [U, C]
UK /ˈmɒd.ᵊl kəˌlæps/ US /ˈmɑːd.ᵊl kəˌlæps/
a situation where an AI system produces information of poor quality because it has been trained on information produced by other AI systems
AI models are computer programs that perform tasks such as language translation or image recognition by analyzing vast amounts of information, known as datasets. They identify patterns within this data to make predictions and enhance their performance and accuracy over time. However, AI systems can experience “model collapse,” a problem where they’re trained on data produced by other AI models without human-created data. This leads to a rapid decline in output quality due to a feedback loop.
[shortform.com, 7 December 2023]
