ChatGPT, extended: large language models and the extended mind.

Recent research has relied on the use of fine-tuning techniques to incorporate philosophical knowledge into Large Language Models (LLMs). The present paper outlines an alternative approach to the development of such systems—one that is rooted in a technique known as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (R...

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Publicado en:Synthese Vol. 205; no. 6; pp. 1 - 31
Autores principales: Smart, Paul, Clowes, Robert, Clark, Andy
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Jun2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: ChatGPT, extended: large language models and the extended mind.
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          Smart, Paul
          Clowes, Robert
          Clark, Andy
        affil:
          https://ror.org/01ryk1543 Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, University Road, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
          https://ror.org/02xankh89 Nova Institute of Philosophy, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Campolide - Colégio Almada Negreiros, 1099-032, Lisbon, Portugal
          https://ror.org/00ayhx656 Department of Philosophy, The University of Sussex, Sussex House, BN1 9RH, Brighton, East Sussex, UK
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        Andy Clark
        Artificial Intelligence
        ChatGPT
        Extended cognition
        Extended mind
        Large language models
        Philosophy and Religious Studies Philosophy
        Retrieval-augmented generation
      ab: Recent research has relied on the use of fine-tuning techniques to incorporate philosophical knowledge into Large Language Models (LLMs). The present paper outlines an alternative approach to the development of such systems—one that is rooted in a technique known as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). In contrast to fine-tuning, RAG does not seek to adjust the internal parameters (or internal memory) of an LLM. Instead, RAG relies on the retrieval of information from an externally-situated store, which functions as a form of non-parametric (or external) memory. Applying this technique to the works of the contemporary philosopher Andy Clark yields Digital Andy: an LLM that is able to respond to questions about the extended mind. This serves as a practical demonstration of RAG-based techniques, highlighting how philosophical knowledge can be ‘incorporated’ into an LLM without the need for additional machine learning. But Digital Andy’s reliance on extra-systemic resources also raises questions about the scope of active externalist theorizing, encouraging us to consider Digital Andy’s status as an extended cognitive/computational system. Addressing these questions reveals some interesting points of convergence between the philosophical effort to understand the extended mind and the technological effort to build the next generation of LLMs.
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