AI’s Learning Process: Behaviourism, Cognition, and Social Learning Explored
In today’s fast-paced world, intelligence and learning are closely intertwined. Understanding how we learn is crucial for education, human development, and our pursuit of a knowledge-based economy. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, we are gaining new insights into this timeless phenomenon.
There are three primary schools of thought on human learning: behaviourism, cognitive theory, and social learning. Each school offers a unique perspective on knowledge and skill acquisition.
Behaviourism emphasizes that learning occurs through interactions with the external environment. For example, when children touch a flame and experience pain, they instinctively learn to withdraw their hands. Repeated experiences condition them to avoid flames. In this paradigm, learning is evident through observable behaviors, such as consistently avoiding flames.
Cognitive theory delves into the internal mental processes that take place when external information and stimuli are processed. When children touch a flame, their brains connect fire and pain, which helps them develop a general understanding of all flames, including larger ones in fires. This way, children gain knowledge about the hazards associated with fire. Their thoughts, often described as thinking about thinking, guide their external behaviors.
Social learning theory emphasizes the role of social factors in shaping behavior. Children may learn about the dangers of fire from their parents and observe their friends avoiding flames or experiencing distress after touching them. In this manner, children learn to avoid flames without necessarily having to interact with them directly.
It is important to note that these three learning theories – behaviourism, cognitivism, and social learning – are not mutually exclusive and often overlap depending on the learner, subject matter, environment, and context.
As we examine AI, particularly generative AI like ChatGPT, it aligns primarily with the behaviourism learning theory. ChatGPT receives prompts and generates responses based on learned patterns, showing a form of learned behavior through its consistent replies.
There are also hints of cognitive learning theory in ChatGPT as it can evaluate its answers, demonstrating a level of thinking about thinking. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding whether it genuinely comprehends information in a human-like manner or if it is an advanced form of behaviourism rather than cognition.
Unlike humans, ChatGPT lacks the ability to engage in social interaction and contextual experiences, making it unable to participate in social learning.
When it comes to learning, it is not just about the method but also about the content. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a commonly used framework for classifying knowledge, categorizing it into various domains and levels of complexity.
According to current research, AI programs like ChatGPT have achieved the Apply and Analyze levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. However, doubts remain about whether they truly understand information like humans do.
Professor Gary Smith, in his book The AI Delusion, argues that computers can store and retrieve information but lack genuine comprehension of words and numbers. He compares this to Nigel Richards, a world champion in French Scrabble, who memorizes foreign words without understanding their meanings.
The evaluation of whether AI has truly learned depends on one’s perspective. From a behaviorism standpoint, if AI gives consistent responses, it has learned. However, from a cognitive perspective, learning may seem incomplete without genuine comprehension.
Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is rapidly progressing and generating responses that resemble those of humans. It often surpasses the Turing Test, a benchmark for human-like intelligence. This compels us to reevaluate our understanding of cognition, intelligence, and humanity in this ever-evolving landscape. Although machines may not learn in the same way as humans, the emergence of intelligence cannot be ignored.
In conclusion, the learning process of AI encompasses aspects of behaviorism and cognitive theory, but it lacks the capacity for social learning like humans. While ChatGPT displays learned behavior and some level of cognitive thinking, there are still questions about its genuine comprehension. As generative AI continues to advance, it challenges our understanding of cognition and intelligence, raising important considerations for the future.
