Do Large Language Models Understand Us?

Abstract Large language models (LLMs) represent a major advance in artificial intelligence and, particular, toward the goal of human-like general intelligence. It is sometimes claimed, though, that machine learning “just statistics,” hence that, this grander ambition, progress AI illusory. Here I take contrary view LLMs have great deal to teach us about nature language, understanding, intelligence, sociality, and personhood. Specifically: statistics do amount any falsifiable sense. Furthermore, much what we consider inherently dialogic, social; it requires theory mind. Complex sequence social interaction may be sufficient basis for including mind consciousness. Since interior state another being can only understood through interaction, no objective answer possible question when an “it” becomes “who,” but many people, neural nets running on computers are likely cross threshold very near future.