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jyounkeryesterday at 7:35 PM2 repliesview on HN

From the point of view of the system, this is an error. It is incorrect information.

The term "hallucination" feels much more like anthropomorphizing. The word hallucination implies an aberrant condition. A much better term would be "confabulation".

You don't trust things or individuals that confabulate.


Replies

reichsteinyesterday at 8:07 PM

> From the point of view of the system, this is an error. It is incorrect information.

Which system?

The LLM has no _concept_ of "correct". It emits output, based on its input and internal state.

If that output happens to be correlated with reality, then it's useful. If it doesn't, and this is not a creative exercise, it's not useful.

Everything an LLM emits is equal to it. It's all confabulation - this it says that is not based on facts, because it also has no concept of fact. Value judgements you make about the output is all you.

"Confabulation" is no less anthropomorphizing than "hallucination".

ChrisLTDyesterday at 7:39 PM

a filling in of gaps in memory through the creation of false memories by an individual who is affected with a memory disorder (as Korsakoff syndrome) and is unaware that the fabricated memories are inaccurate and false

vs.

a sensory perception (such as a visual image or a sound) that occurs in the absence of an actual external stimulus and usually arises from neurological disturbance (such as that associated with delirium tremens, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, or narcolepsy) or in response to drugs (such as LSD or phencyclidine)

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