Machine-learned language models have transformed everyday life: they steer us when we study, drive, manage money. They have the potential to transform our civilization. But they hallucinate. Their realities are virtual. This note provides a high-level overview of language models and outlines a low-level model of learning machines. It turns out that, after they become capable of recognizing hallucinations and dreaming safely, as humans tend to be, the language-learning machines proceed to generate broader systems of false beliefs and self-confirming theories, as humans tend to do.

翻译：机器学习语言模型已深刻改变日常生活：它们在学习、驾驶、财务管理等方面引导我们，并具备变革文明的潜力。然而，这些模型会产生幻觉，其构建的现实具有虚拟性。本文对语言模型进行了高层概述，并提出了学习机器的底层模型框架。研究发现，当语言学习机器像人类一样能够识别幻觉并进行安全"造梦"后，它们会进一步生成更广泛的错误信念体系与自我证成的理论体系——这也正是人类认知行为中常见的倾向。