Comment by spion
2 years ago
I tried some of the examples from the article:
> Me: Does the phrase “John is too stubborn to talk to” typically describe a situation where John doesn't talk with anyone?
> ChatGPT: No, the phrase "John is too stubborn to talk to" typically means that John is unwilling to engage in conversation or listen to other people's opinions. It suggests that John's stubbornness is preventing him from having a productive conversation or resolving a disagreement. It does not necessarily mean that John does not talk with anyone at all.
> Me: Does the phrase "John is too lazy to work" typically describe a situation where John doesn't work?
> ChatGPT: Yes, the phrase "John is too lazy to work" typically means that John is not working because of his laziness or lack of motivation. It suggests that John is not willing to put in the effort required to complete his work or that he is procrastinating instead of doing his job. It implies that John is not productive and is not fulfilling his responsibilities in the workplace. Therefore, the phrase usually describes a situation where John does not work.
I get the sense that Chomsky didn't actually test his examples ChatGPT before declaring that it can't handle them.
If you then ask ChatGPT to explain the grammar of either of those phrases, it will give a much better explanation of them than Chomsky did in the article.