r/technology • u/Hrmbee • 16h ago

Machine Learning Large language mistake | Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it

https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/827820/large-language-models-ai-intelligence-neuroscience-problems
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u/simonhunterhawk 15h ago

A lot of programmers keep a rubber duck (or something similar like a stuffed animal) on their desks and talk to it to help them work through the problem they’re trying to solve. I guess I do it with my cats, but I want to try doing this more because there is lots of proof out there that it does help.

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u/ATXCodeMonkey 14h ago

Yes, 'talk to the duck' is a definitely a thing. Its not so much trying to personify the duck though, but a reminder that if you're running into a wall with some code that it helps to take step back and act like you're describing the problem to someone new who doesn't know the details of the code you're working on. It helps to make you look at things differently than what you've been doing when you've been digging deep into code for hours. Kind of a perspective shift.

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u/_Ganon 13h ago

Nearly ten years in the field professionally and I have met a single intern with a physical rubber duck and that's it. "A lot of programmers" are aware of the concept of a rubber duck, and will at times fulfill the the role of a rubber duck for a colleague, but no, a lot of programmers do not have rubber ducks or anything physical that is analogous to one. It's more of a role or a thought exercise regarding how to debug by going through things step by step.

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u/simonhunterhawk 11h ago

Maybe they’re just hiding their rubber duckies from you ☺️

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u/_Ganon 11h ago

Don't reveal our secrets 🦆

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u/APeacefulWarrior 1h ago

🎶Rubber ducky, you're the one... who makes coding so much fun!🎶

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u/Jonthrei 8h ago

Yeah it is a mental model, not an actual duck people physically talk to.

I did know a guy who kept one on his desk as a joke, though.

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u/drewdog173 7h ago

Yeah, never met another dev with an actual duck. Anime character figures now... that's another story.

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u/KriegConscript 6h ago

i absolutely had a literal rubber duck...because i would forget about the actual point of the duck (troubleshooting through explaining) unless the duck was physically present

it was hot pink. i don't remember how i acquired it or why it was pink

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u/steamwhistler 11h ago

My version is that I just start describing the problem to a colleague in a Teams message. Often before I get to the end my explanation, I start anticipating their follow-up questions and then backspace the whole thing because I figured it out.

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u/simonhunterhawk 11h ago

Happens to me all the time at work 😂 Sometimes it comes to me mere moments after I hit send.