Understanding the capabilities, limitations, and societal impact of large language models

OpenAI Blog Papers

Summary

A comprehensive discussion summary from OpenAI and Stanford researchers examining GPT-3's technical capabilities, limitations, and broader societal implications across multiple disciplines including computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and policy.

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# Understanding the capabilities, limitations, and societal impact of large language models Source: [https://openai.com/index/understanding-the-capabilities-limitations-and-societal-impact-of-large-language-models/](https://openai.com/index/understanding-the-capabilities-limitations-and-societal-impact-of-large-language-models/) ## Abstract On October 14th, 2020, researchers from OpenAI, the Stanford Institute for Human\-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and other universities convened to discuss open research questions surrounding GPT‑3, the largest publicly\-disclosed dense language model at the time\. The meeting took place under Chatham House Rules\. Discussants came from a variety of research backgrounds including computer science, linguistics, philosophy, political science, communications, cyber policy, and more\. Broadly, the discussion centered around two main questions: 1\) What are the technical capabilities and limitations of large language models? 2\) What are the societal effects of widespread use of large language models? Here, we provide a detailed summary of the discussion organized by the two themes above\.

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