Chinese room argument revisited: considerations from generative AI

Abstract

In this article, we revisit the debate instigated by John Searle in his Chinese Room argument, regarding the viability of strong artificial intelligence, in light of the contemporary scenario of development of Generative Artificial Intelligence, with the so-called Large Language Models (LLMs), specifically OpenAI's ChatGPT. We re-examine crucial elements of Searlan's argument, which have evolved over the past four decades in response to criticism. Our objective is to investigate the limits of what can be achieved by entities, whether human or mechanical in nature, that stand out in the linguistic domain.

Keywords:
Language; Semantics; Artificial intelligence; LLMs