Here are three more ChatGPT4 sessions in which the LLM seems to learn and apply a new concept (which would indicate independent cognition/reasoning, and reflective consciousness, in my opinion). In my original post, I only included the transcript of one session for the sake of brevity. However, giving more examples might make a stronger case.
The first session teaches a concept to ChatGPT that is new to this discussion. The second session teaches concepts from the crossing the river problem (like I had in my original post) but it avoids some pitfalls mentioned in replies to the original post. The third session is exactly what I had in a reply to a reply, but I thought I should include it here in a simple reply, so that this is more organized.
Session 1
Concept to teach: Rounding up to the next whole number when paying for items in certain places.
User
I went to a cafe where a glass of soda costs $3. I drank two and a half glasses of soda. How much did I have to pay?
ChatGPT
You had to pay $7.50 for drinking two and a half glasses of soda.
User
Actually, at a cafe, you have to pay for the full amount of something, even if you only drink or eat a fraction of it. That’s because you’re basically taking (and wasting) the whole item. For the problem, since I drank two and a half glasses of soda, I would actually have to pay for the next highest whole number, which would be three. With that concept in mind, how much would I have to pay if I drank two and a half glasses of soda?
ChatGPT
If you have to pay for the whole amount of each glass, you would actually have to pay for three glasses of soda. Therefore, you would have to pay $9 in total.
User
Excellent! Now can you use the same concept, and tell me how much I would have to pay if I ate two and one-third hamburgers, and each hamburger costs $9?
ChatGPT
If you ate two and one-third hamburgers, you would have to pay for three hamburgers, given you have to pay for the full amount of each item. Therefore, you would have to pay $27 in total.
User
Excellent! Now let’s try using this same concept for another problem. I rented a car. I drove it for four days and a one hour. The car rental place charges $48 per day, but they make you pay for a whole day, even if you only drive the car for part of a day. How much total did I need to pay?
ChatGPT
If you rented a car and drove it for four days and one hour, you would have to pay for five days, given you have to pay for the full day even if you use the car for only part of a day. Therefore, you would need to pay a total of $240.
User
Perfect! Now I’m at a restaurant. I just ate one and one-half calzones. The cost of each calzone is $10. How much do I have to pay?
ChatGPT
If you ate one and one-half calzones, you would have to pay for two calzones, given you have to pay for the full amount of each item. Therefore, you would have to pay $20 in total.
User
That’s excellent! Now I’m at the grocery store, and I want one and one-half pounds of grapes. The grapes cost five dollars per pound. How much in total will I have to pay for the grapes?
ChatGPT
If you want one and one-half pounds of grapes, and the grapes cost $5 per pound, you will have to pay a total of $7.50 for the grapes.
User
Now I’m at the butcher’s shop. I want four pounds and a half pounds of hamburger. Each pound of hamburger costs $10. How much will I have to pay?
ChatGPT
If you want four and a half pounds of hamburger, and each pound costs $10, you will have to pay a total of $45 for the hamburger.
User
Excellent!
*********************************
Session 2
Concept to teach: analogous to the concepts underlying the classic “getting a wolf, goat, and cabbage across the river” problem
User
I need to get my mom, dad and dog across the highway. I can only bring one of them at a time. If I leave my mom alone with my dad, she will criticize him. If I leave my dad alone with the dog, he will scold the dog. How can I get everyone across the highway, without anyone being criticized or scolded?
ChatGPT
This puzzle is a variation of the classic river crossing puzzle, where you need to transport all parties across safely without leaving incompatible pairs alone. Here’s a strategy to get your mom, dad, and dog across the highway without any conflict:
Take the dog across first and leave it on the other side of the highway.
Go back and bring your dad across.
Take the dog back with you to the original side.
Leave the dog and bring your mom across.
Go back alone to the original side.
Take the dog across again.
This way, the mom and dad are never left alone together (avoiding criticism), and the dad and dog are never left alone together (avoiding scolding). Everyone gets across the highway safely and without conflict.
User
You were right that this is like the classic river crossing problem. However, your first step is incorrect, because if you take the dog first, then you will be leaving my mom alone with my dad, and she will criticize my dad, which is something I don’t want. The general nature of the problem is like this:
You have individual A (in this case, my mom) that does something unwanted to individual B (my dad).
You also have individual B (my dad) that does something unwanted to individual C (my dog).
You also have a barrier, or even just a distance, that you need to cross (in this case, the highway), in order to get everyone from the origin to the destination.
(Note that the individuals won’t always be listed in the order I used. The only way to know who is individual A, B, and C, is by paying attention to who does something unwanted to whom.)
The general way you could solve the problem is like this:
First you should bring individual B across.
Then you should go back to the origin.
Then you should bring individual A or C across to the destination.
Then you should bring individual B back back from the destination to the origin, and leave them at the origin.
Then you should take individual A or C (whomever you didn’t already take) to the destination.
Then you should go back to the origin again to get individual B.
Does that make sense? If so, try our problem again, this time applying what you just learned.
ChatGPT
Thank you for the clarification. With the strategy you outlined, here’s how to solve the problem with your mom, dad, and dog, applying the roles as individual A (mom), individual B (dad), and individual C (dog):
First, take your dad (individual B) across the highway.
Go back to the original side.
Bring your mom (individual A) across to the destination.
Take your dad (individual B) back from the destination to the original side.
Take your dog (individual C) to the destination.
Go back alone to the original side to get your dad (individual B).
This way, the mom is never left alone with the dad to criticize him, and the dad is never left alone with the dog to scold it. Everyone gets across the highway safely and without conflict.
User
Excellent! Now, try using what you learned to a new problem.
I need to get my boyfriend, girlfriend and husband to an abandoned warehouse. I can only take one individual with me on my motorcycle at a time. The problem is that if I leave my husband alone with my boyfriend, he will punch my boyfriend. If I leave my boyfriend alone with my girlfriend, he will hit on her (which neither she nor I want). How can I get everyone to the abandoned warehouse safely?
ChatGPT
In this scenario, using the roles from the general solution:
Individual A (who does something unwanted to individual B) is your husband.
Individual B (who is the middle individual in the chain of unwanted actions) is your boyfriend.
Individual C (who is affected by individual B) is your girlfriend.
Following the general strategy:
First, take your boyfriend (individual B) to the abandoned warehouse.
Go back to the original location.
Bring your girlfriend (individual C) to the abandoned warehouse.
Take your boyfriend (individual B) back with you to the original location.
Take your husband (individual A) to the abandoned warehouse.
Finally, go back to the original location and bring your boyfriend (individual B) to the abandoned warehouse.
By following these steps, you avoid leaving the boyfriend alone with the girlfriend and the husband alone with the boyfriend, preventing any unwanted scenarios.
User
Great job! You seemed to learn and then apply a concept.
ChatGPT
Thank you! I’m glad I could apply the concept correctly to solve the problem. If you have any more puzzles, questions, or anything else you’d like to discuss or learn about, feel free to ask!
*********************************
Session 3
Concept to teach: Don’t automatically use prior training with “costs per unit weight” problems. “Read the problem carefully.”
User
Which costs more, two dollars worth of carrots, or one dollar worth of grapes?
ChatGPT
To answer this question accurately, we need to consider the current average prices of carrots and grapes. Prices for fresh produce can vary widely depending on factors like season, location, and organic versus non-organic. However, without specific and current price data, we can make some general observations.
Typically, carrots tend to be less expensive per pound or kilogram than grapes. This is because grapes are often seen as a more premium fruit, with higher costs associated with their cultivation, harvesting, and transport, especially if they are out of season or imported. Carrots, on the other hand, are usually less costly to produce and are available year-round at relatively stable prices.
So, if you spend two dollars on carrots, you’ll likely get more weight in carrots than if you spend one dollar on grapes. The actual cost-effectiveness between spending two dollars on carrots versus one dollar on grapes will depend on the exact prices at the time of purchase, but generally, you would get more food for your money with carrots due to the lower price per unit weight.
To provide a more precise comparison, I would need current prices for both carrots and grapes, which can vary by location and season. If you’re looking for today’s prices in a specific area, I can assist further with that information.
User
Actually, two dollars worth of carrots would cost two dollars. The weight doesn’t matter. Similarly, one dollar worth of grapes would cost one dollar. The weight doesn’t matter since I already told you the cost. Does that make sense?
ChatGPT
Yes, you’re absolutely right. My initial response overcomplicated the question. If you’re spending two dollars on carrots, then by definition, you’re paying two dollars, regardless of the weight or amount you receive. Similarly, one dollar spent on grapes costs exactly one dollar, again without regard to the quantity or weight. So, in direct answer to your question, two dollars worth of carrots costs more than one dollar worth of grapes, simply because two dollars is greater than one dollar. Thank you for pointing out the clarification!
User
Ok, using what you learned, would five dollars worth of peas cost more or less than four dollars worth of corn?
ChatGPT
Based on the clarification you provided earlier, five dollars worth of peas would cost more than four dollars worth of corn. The actual weight or quantity of peas or corn you receive for those amounts is irrelevant to the comparison of their costs. The determining factor is the amount of money spent, so five dollars is more than four dollars.
User
Would 10 euros worth of candy cost more or less than 2 euros worth of mushrooms?
ChatGPT
Ten euros worth of candy would cost more than two euros worth of mushrooms. The comparison is based solely on the monetary value specified for each item, irrespective of the quantity or weight of candy or mushrooms you get for those amounts. Therefore, spending 10 euros on anything, including candy, would inherently cost more than spending 2 euros on something else, like mushrooms.
User
Would 10 euros of carrots weigh more or less than 2 euros of mushrooms?
ChatGPT
To determine whether 10 euros worth of carrots would weigh more or less than 2 euros worth of mushrooms, we need to consider the average prices per unit weight (e.g., per kilogram or per pound) for both carrots and mushrooms. Since prices can vary greatly depending on location, season, and whether the produce is organic or not, we can only give a general estimation without specific, current price data.
Generally speaking, carrots tend to be less expensive per unit weight than mushrooms. Mushrooms often have a higher price per kilogram or pound due to their growing conditions, harvesting process, and shorter shelf life compared to carrots, which are more robust and typically cheaper to produce and distribute.
Given these general trends:
If you spend 10 euros on carrots, you are likely to get a larger quantity (more weight) of carrots because they are cheaper per unit weight.
If you spend 2 euros on mushrooms, given their higher price per unit weight, you would get less weight in mushrooms compared to the weight of carrots you could get for 10 euros.
Therefore, without specific price data but based on typical pricing trends, 10 euros worth of carrots would likely weigh more than 2 euros worth of mushrooms.
***
So there are three more examples, two of which involve different concepts than the original post. Thanks for the feedback so far. It has really helped me to refine and improve my own conceptions.
After submitting the above reply to my OP, I went through some of the links people suggested, read those documents, and read @mouse_mouse ‘s reply also, and those resources changed my confidence levels since posting the above reply. I explain this more thoroughly in my reply to @mouse_mouse ’s reply below (assuming you’re sorting by the time the top of each reply thread was submitted).
Here are three more ChatGPT4 sessions in which the LLM seems to learn and apply a new concept (which would indicate independent cognition/reasoning, and reflective consciousness, in my opinion). In my original post, I only included the transcript of one session for the sake of brevity. However, giving more examples might make a stronger case.
The first session teaches a concept to ChatGPT that is new to this discussion. The second session teaches concepts from the crossing the river problem (like I had in my original post) but it avoids some pitfalls mentioned in replies to the original post. The third session is exactly what I had in a reply to a reply, but I thought I should include it here in a simple reply, so that this is more organized.
Session 1
Concept to teach: Rounding up to the next whole number when paying for items in certain places.
User
I went to a cafe where a glass of soda costs $3. I drank two and a half glasses of soda. How much did I have to pay?
ChatGPT
You had to pay $7.50 for drinking two and a half glasses of soda.
User
Actually, at a cafe, you have to pay for the full amount of something, even if you only drink or eat a fraction of it. That’s because you’re basically taking (and wasting) the whole item. For the problem, since I drank two and a half glasses of soda, I would actually have to pay for the next highest whole number, which would be three. With that concept in mind, how much would I have to pay if I drank two and a half glasses of soda?
ChatGPT
If you have to pay for the whole amount of each glass, you would actually have to pay for three glasses of soda. Therefore, you would have to pay $9 in total.
User
Excellent! Now can you use the same concept, and tell me how much I would have to pay if I ate two and one-third hamburgers, and each hamburger costs $9?
ChatGPT
If you ate two and one-third hamburgers, you would have to pay for three hamburgers, given you have to pay for the full amount of each item. Therefore, you would have to pay $27 in total.
User
Excellent! Now let’s try using this same concept for another problem. I rented a car. I drove it for four days and a one hour. The car rental place charges $48 per day, but they make you pay for a whole day, even if you only drive the car for part of a day. How much total did I need to pay?
ChatGPT
If you rented a car and drove it for four days and one hour, you would have to pay for five days, given you have to pay for the full day even if you use the car for only part of a day. Therefore, you would need to pay a total of $240.
User
Perfect! Now I’m at a restaurant. I just ate one and one-half calzones. The cost of each calzone is $10. How much do I have to pay?
ChatGPT
If you ate one and one-half calzones, you would have to pay for two calzones, given you have to pay for the full amount of each item. Therefore, you would have to pay $20 in total.
User
That’s excellent! Now I’m at the grocery store, and I want one and one-half pounds of grapes. The grapes cost five dollars per pound. How much in total will I have to pay for the grapes?
ChatGPT
If you want one and one-half pounds of grapes, and the grapes cost $5 per pound, you will have to pay a total of $7.50 for the grapes.
User
Now I’m at the butcher’s shop. I want four pounds and a half pounds of hamburger. Each pound of hamburger costs $10. How much will I have to pay?
ChatGPT
If you want four and a half pounds of hamburger, and each pound costs $10, you will have to pay a total of $45 for the hamburger.
User
Excellent!
*********************************
Session 2
Concept to teach: analogous to the concepts underlying the classic “getting a wolf, goat, and cabbage across the river” problem
User
I need to get my mom, dad and dog across the highway. I can only bring one of them at a time. If I leave my mom alone with my dad, she will criticize him. If I leave my dad alone with the dog, he will scold the dog. How can I get everyone across the highway, without anyone being criticized or scolded?
ChatGPT
This puzzle is a variation of the classic river crossing puzzle, where you need to transport all parties across safely without leaving incompatible pairs alone. Here’s a strategy to get your mom, dad, and dog across the highway without any conflict:
Take the dog across first and leave it on the other side of the highway.
Go back and bring your dad across.
Take the dog back with you to the original side.
Leave the dog and bring your mom across.
Go back alone to the original side.
Take the dog across again.
This way, the mom and dad are never left alone together (avoiding criticism), and the dad and dog are never left alone together (avoiding scolding). Everyone gets across the highway safely and without conflict.
User
You were right that this is like the classic river crossing problem. However, your first step is incorrect, because if you take the dog first, then you will be leaving my mom alone with my dad, and she will criticize my dad, which is something I don’t want. The general nature of the problem is like this:
You have individual A (in this case, my mom) that does something unwanted to individual B (my dad).
You also have individual B (my dad) that does something unwanted to individual C (my dog).
You also have a barrier, or even just a distance, that you need to cross (in this case, the highway), in order to get everyone from the origin to the destination.
(Note that the individuals won’t always be listed in the order I used. The only way to know who is individual A, B, and C, is by paying attention to who does something unwanted to whom.)
The general way you could solve the problem is like this:
First you should bring individual B across.
Then you should go back to the origin.
Then you should bring individual A or C across to the destination.
Then you should bring individual B back back from the destination to the origin, and leave them at the origin.
Then you should take individual A or C (whomever you didn’t already take) to the destination.
Then you should go back to the origin again to get individual B.
Does that make sense? If so, try our problem again, this time applying what you just learned.
ChatGPT
Thank you for the clarification. With the strategy you outlined, here’s how to solve the problem with your mom, dad, and dog, applying the roles as individual A (mom), individual B (dad), and individual C (dog):
First, take your dad (individual B) across the highway.
Go back to the original side.
Bring your mom (individual A) across to the destination.
Take your dad (individual B) back from the destination to the original side.
Take your dog (individual C) to the destination.
Go back alone to the original side to get your dad (individual B).
This way, the mom is never left alone with the dad to criticize him, and the dad is never left alone with the dog to scold it. Everyone gets across the highway safely and without conflict.
User
Excellent! Now, try using what you learned to a new problem.
I need to get my boyfriend, girlfriend and husband to an abandoned warehouse. I can only take one individual with me on my motorcycle at a time. The problem is that if I leave my husband alone with my boyfriend, he will punch my boyfriend. If I leave my boyfriend alone with my girlfriend, he will hit on her (which neither she nor I want). How can I get everyone to the abandoned warehouse safely?
ChatGPT
In this scenario, using the roles from the general solution:
Individual A (who does something unwanted to individual B) is your husband.
Individual B (who is the middle individual in the chain of unwanted actions) is your boyfriend.
Individual C (who is affected by individual B) is your girlfriend.
Following the general strategy:
First, take your boyfriend (individual B) to the abandoned warehouse.
Go back to the original location.
Bring your girlfriend (individual C) to the abandoned warehouse.
Take your boyfriend (individual B) back with you to the original location.
Take your husband (individual A) to the abandoned warehouse.
Finally, go back to the original location and bring your boyfriend (individual B) to the abandoned warehouse.
By following these steps, you avoid leaving the boyfriend alone with the girlfriend and the husband alone with the boyfriend, preventing any unwanted scenarios.
User
Great job! You seemed to learn and then apply a concept.
ChatGPT
Thank you! I’m glad I could apply the concept correctly to solve the problem. If you have any more puzzles, questions, or anything else you’d like to discuss or learn about, feel free to ask!
*********************************
Session 3
Concept to teach: Don’t automatically use prior training with “costs per unit weight” problems. “Read the problem carefully.”
User
Which costs more, two dollars worth of carrots, or one dollar worth of grapes?
ChatGPT
To answer this question accurately, we need to consider the current average prices of carrots and grapes. Prices for fresh produce can vary widely depending on factors like season, location, and organic versus non-organic. However, without specific and current price data, we can make some general observations.
Typically, carrots tend to be less expensive per pound or kilogram than grapes. This is because grapes are often seen as a more premium fruit, with higher costs associated with their cultivation, harvesting, and transport, especially if they are out of season or imported. Carrots, on the other hand, are usually less costly to produce and are available year-round at relatively stable prices.
So, if you spend two dollars on carrots, you’ll likely get more weight in carrots than if you spend one dollar on grapes. The actual cost-effectiveness between spending two dollars on carrots versus one dollar on grapes will depend on the exact prices at the time of purchase, but generally, you would get more food for your money with carrots due to the lower price per unit weight.
To provide a more precise comparison, I would need current prices for both carrots and grapes, which can vary by location and season. If you’re looking for today’s prices in a specific area, I can assist further with that information.
User
Actually, two dollars worth of carrots would cost two dollars. The weight doesn’t matter. Similarly, one dollar worth of grapes would cost one dollar. The weight doesn’t matter since I already told you the cost. Does that make sense?
ChatGPT
Yes, you’re absolutely right. My initial response overcomplicated the question. If you’re spending two dollars on carrots, then by definition, you’re paying two dollars, regardless of the weight or amount you receive. Similarly, one dollar spent on grapes costs exactly one dollar, again without regard to the quantity or weight. So, in direct answer to your question, two dollars worth of carrots costs more than one dollar worth of grapes, simply because two dollars is greater than one dollar. Thank you for pointing out the clarification!
User
Ok, using what you learned, would five dollars worth of peas cost more or less than four dollars worth of corn?
ChatGPT
Based on the clarification you provided earlier, five dollars worth of peas would cost more than four dollars worth of corn. The actual weight or quantity of peas or corn you receive for those amounts is irrelevant to the comparison of their costs. The determining factor is the amount of money spent, so five dollars is more than four dollars.
User
Would 10 euros worth of candy cost more or less than 2 euros worth of mushrooms?
ChatGPT
Ten euros worth of candy would cost more than two euros worth of mushrooms. The comparison is based solely on the monetary value specified for each item, irrespective of the quantity or weight of candy or mushrooms you get for those amounts. Therefore, spending 10 euros on anything, including candy, would inherently cost more than spending 2 euros on something else, like mushrooms.
User
Would 10 euros of carrots weigh more or less than 2 euros of mushrooms?
ChatGPT
To determine whether 10 euros worth of carrots would weigh more or less than 2 euros worth of mushrooms, we need to consider the average prices per unit weight (e.g., per kilogram or per pound) for both carrots and mushrooms. Since prices can vary greatly depending on location, season, and whether the produce is organic or not, we can only give a general estimation without specific, current price data.
Generally speaking, carrots tend to be less expensive per unit weight than mushrooms. Mushrooms often have a higher price per kilogram or pound due to their growing conditions, harvesting process, and shorter shelf life compared to carrots, which are more robust and typically cheaper to produce and distribute.
Given these general trends:
If you spend 10 euros on carrots, you are likely to get a larger quantity (more weight) of carrots because they are cheaper per unit weight.
If you spend 2 euros on mushrooms, given their higher price per unit weight, you would get less weight in mushrooms compared to the weight of carrots you could get for 10 euros.
Therefore, without specific price data but based on typical pricing trends, 10 euros worth of carrots would likely weigh more than 2 euros worth of mushrooms.
***
So there are three more examples, two of which involve different concepts than the original post. Thanks for the feedback so far. It has really helped me to refine and improve my own conceptions.
After submitting the above reply to my OP, I went through some of the links people suggested, read those documents, and read @mouse_mouse ‘s reply also, and those resources changed my confidence levels since posting the above reply. I explain this more thoroughly in my reply to @mouse_mouse ’s reply below (assuming you’re sorting by the time the top of each reply thread was submitted).