LLMs and the End of Remainder Humanism: A Structuralist Approach
2025-06-14
Leif Weatherby's new book, *Language Machines: Cultural AI and the End of Remainder Humanism*, examines how Large Language Models (LLMs) have decoupled cognition from language and computation, echoing earlier structuralist theories. Weatherby critiques the prevalent 'remainder humanism' in AI research, arguing it hinders a true understanding of LLMs. He contends that both AI skeptics and enthusiasts fall into the trap of simplistic comparisons between human and machine capabilities. He proposes a structuralist framework, viewing language as a holistic system rather than a mere cognitive or statistical phenomenon, to better comprehend LLMs and their impact on the humanities.
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