r/zen • u/ewk [non-sectarian consensus] • 19d ago

AI Zen Master

Since it's so easy to drop a Zen text or even multiple Zen texts into an llm and ask questions that the llm will answer from the standpoint of the text?

* www.reddit.com/r/Zen/wiki/getstarted

Doesn't it make sense that there would be a lot less confusion and a lot more interesting conversations??

Plus, if you have an llm answer questions about the texts then who better to explain why Zazen Shinto-Buddhism and Alan Epstein Watts are not part of the tradition?

Serious question.

Where are all my AI Zen Masters at?

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u/drsoinso 17d ago

But no one is expecting it to comprehend--that's not the purpose. The statistical predictions are the purpose.

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u/origin_unknown 17d ago edited 17d ago

I don't know what to tell you, except lacking comprehension changes the context of what's being translated and also affects the context of the output.

If you comprehend, what do you need the machine for?
If you don't comprehend, what good is your opinion on the accuracy of the machine?

The machine doesn't remove bias, it adds it.

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u/drsoinso 17d ago

Everything adds bias. And nothing guarantees comprehension, humans or otherwise.

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u/origin_unknown 17d ago

Everything adds bias

Seems reasonable, but it doesn't excuse ignoring or overlooking the bias or the limits of the program.

And nothing guarantees comprehension, humans or otherwise.

Also seems reasonable, but nobody guaranteed comprehension to start with, I only stated that it was a necessary ingredient of analysis.