Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
Over the past year, language models have entered the popular consciousness as new apps like ChatGPT attract hundreds of millions of users. Bold claims have been made about the capabilities and future impact of such products. Researchers in the field of natural language processing (the scholarly field in which language models originated) have been somewhat taken aback by these developments; language models have been around for decades. Noah Smith, an expert in natural language processing, takes to the Chicago Humanities stage for a presentation that aims to demystify generative artificial intelligence with a focus on language models. By introducing historical context and a few key concepts and foundational ideas, he aims to narrow the gap between scientific and popular understanding of language models while avoiding the hype.
This program is presented as part of the NielsenIQ Series on Artificial Intelligence.
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Over the past year, language models have entered the popular consciousness as new apps like ChatGPT attract hundreds of millions of users. Bold claims have been made about the capabilities and future impact of such products. Researchers in the field of natural language processing (the scholarly field in which language models originated) have been somewhat taken aback by these developments; language models have been around for decades. Noah Smith, an expert in natural language processing, takes to the Chicago Humanities stage for a presentation that aims to demystify generative artificial intelligence with a focus on language models. By introducing historical context and a few key concepts and foundational ideas, he aims to narrow the gap between scientific and popular understanding of language models while avoiding the hype.
This program is presented as part of the NielsenIQ Series on Artificial Intelligence.
Donate now to support programs like this: chicagohumanities.org/donate
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org
Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities
Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities
Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanities
![Nyle DiMarco: Deaf Utopia [CC]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HZEjpomDlQI/mqdefault.jpg "Nyle DiMarco: Deaf Utopia [CC]
America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars champion Nyle DiMarco knows “just how damn cool it is to be Deaf.” DiMarco’s career (which also includes executive producing the reality show Deaf U and Academy-award nominated documentary Audible) has been dedicated to celebrating what makes Deaf culture so unique and beautiful. Join DiMarco at CHF for a conversation about his new book Deaf Utopia: A Memoir—and a Love Letter to a Way of Life with Chicago Today host Matthew Rodrigues.
Donate now to support programs like this: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/donate/
Explore upcoming events: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/
Connect on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ChiHumanities
Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicagohumanities/
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chihumanities/")
