[digitailor]

I see. I call this the “all code is just a really big abacus” argument. Others call it algorithmic reductionism or essentialism, and I will argue for it too in many cases. (I don’t get too bent out of shape about it, even when shallow depth of human thought may have security implications down the line.)

How about generative adversarial networks? Are they just calculators too?

[BasedGroyper99]

Yes. The same way the best magicians are just using a complex construct of illusions to fool the audience. Or if two children stacked under a trench coat deliver a very, very, very convincing performance of an adult and manage to purchase alcohol, they still don't become an adult.

[digitailor]

Spoken like a truly based groyper. :D I understand, yes, all things are composed of atoms, electrons, etc. All computation is achieved through calculation, or to be more precise, processes like execution of instructions and transistor flipping. How is this illuminating for doing anything practical other than circuit design, exactly? And why couldn't my Texas Instruments write me a blog post that fools thousands?

[BasedGroyper99]

Your calculator can fool thousands, but only because you can fool others, it doesn't mean that it becomes the thing it is pretending to be. My point was quite limited to saying that you won't get actual intelligence, even if the things that fool us get more and more convincing.

To me all of this is like alchemy or witch brewery. You just don't get gold or magic powers from some weird recipe or combination of non-gold stuff or non-magical stuff.