Can AI really think or only create an illusion of thinking?
This debate between experts shows bigger disagreements about how to test AI and measure machine thinking. While Apple's research suggests we should be careful about current AI abilities, critics say it's the testing methods that have their limitations, which in turn can't prove that AI systems have major limits.
The debate comes down to whether these systems can really think or just pretend to think well. As AI keeps getting better quickly, creating proper ways to test it becomes more important for understanding what these technologies can and can't do reliably.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tatler Asia
6 days ago
- Tatler Asia
Do you sound like ChatGPT? Research says AI is changing how we speak
Stop mid-sentence and listen to yourself talk. Notice how you 'delve' into topics or describe things as 'meticulous'? Congratulations—you've been ChatGPT-ified Research from the Max Planck Institute has revealed a startling linguistic shift: since ChatGPT debuted 18 months ago, humans have increased their usage of AI-favoured vocabulary by 51 per cent. Words like 'adept', 'realm' and 'navigate', which are commonly used by ChatGPT, are suddenly everywhere, from boardroom presentations to dating app messages. We're not just using artificial intelligence—it turns out AI is shaping how we speak. This isn't accidental. Every time we interact with AI-generated content, while AI absorbs our patterns, we, as humans, absorb its patterns too. AI-speak sounds confident and professional, and we reach for its linguistic safety net. Also read: Can ChatGPT understand who we are? But here's the problem: uniformity kills personality. As we streamline our speech through ChatGPT filters, we iron out regional dialects, personal quirkiness and grammatical stumbles that make our speech uniquely our own. Consider the difference between 'I enjoy navigating through multicultural spaces' and 'I love travelling'. One sounds impressive and professional, but the other sounds like an actual person, someone relatable. There's no denying that AI is here to stay. And AI is shaping our culture, including our communication style. But it's up to us on how we strike a balance between what is beautifully, chaotically human and the confident 'perfectly sophisticated' voice that AI brings on board.
Tatler Asia
20-06-2025
- Tatler Asia
Can AI really think or only create an illusion of thinking?
This debate between experts shows bigger disagreements about how to test AI and measure machine thinking. While Apple's research suggests we should be careful about current AI abilities, critics say it's the testing methods that have their limitations, which in turn can't prove that AI systems have major limits. The debate comes down to whether these systems can really think or just pretend to think well. As AI keeps getting better quickly, creating proper ways to test it becomes more important for understanding what these technologies can and can't do reliably.
South China Morning Post
13-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Nearly all Foxconn India iPhones shipping to US as Apple looks to bypass China tariffs
Nearly all the iPhones exported by Foxconn from India went to the United States between March and May, customs data showed, far above the 2024 average of 50 per cent and a clear sign of Apple 's efforts to bypass high US tariffs imposed on China. The numbers, being reported by Reuters for the first time, show Apple has realigned its India exports to almost exclusively serve the US market, when previously the devices were more widely distributed to countries including the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Britain. During March-May, Foxconn exported iPhones worth US$3.2 billion from India, with an average of 97 per cent shipped to the United States, compared to a 2024 average of 50.3 per cent, according to commercially available customs data seen by Reuters. India iPhone shipments by Foxconn to the United States in May 2025 were worth nearly US$1 billion, the second-highest ever after the record US$1.3 billion worth of devices shipped in March, the data showed. Apple and Foxconn did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. US President Donald Trump holds an iPhone after it rang while he was speaking at the White House on May 23. Photo: Reuters
