How do large language models like ChatGPT learn to respond?

Large language models like ChatGPT learn to respond by practicing with lots of examples, just like you learn to talk by listening and repeating.

Imagine you're learning how to say "hello" in different ways. At first, you might say "hi," then "howdy," then "good morning." Over time, you get better at choosing the right greeting based on who you're talking to and when. That’s kind of like what happens with ChatGPT.

Learning by example

ChatGPT starts by reading a huge number of sentences, millions of them! These are like the examples it uses to learn. Each sentence shows how people talk, so ChatGPT can start to understand patterns in language, just like you pick up new words when you read or talk with friends.

Practicing until it's good

Once ChatGPT has seen enough examples, it practices by trying to write its own sentences. If it makes a mistake, like saying "goodnight" when someone says "hello", it learns from that mistake and gets better over time, just like you do when you practice speaking every day.

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Examples

  1. A child learns to speak by listening and repeating what they hear.
  2. Imagine teaching a robot how to talk by reading books aloud to it every day.
  3. Large language models learn by being exposed to millions of sentences online.

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