Monthly Archives: November 2025

Inference

Noun.

1.a.

1593–

The action or process of inferring; the drawing of a conclusion from known or assumed facts or statements; esp. in Logic, the forming of a conclusion from data or premisses, either by inductive or deductive methods; reasoning from something known or assumed to something else which follows from it; = illation n. Also (with plural), a particular act of inferring; the logical form in which this is expressed.

Additional sense (2024)

1960–

Originally: a simulated process of drawing a conclusion performed by a computer, program, etc. In later use: spec. the process by which a trained artificial intelligence program, system, etc., makes predictions, generates output, or otherwise responds to new inputs.

Oxford English Dictionary, “inference (n.), additional sense,” June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/7585762308.

Oxford English Dictionary.

Are language models intelligent?

Whether language is necessary for intelligence remains a longstanding question in the philosophy of language. Every field of research—from neuroscience to psychology, linguistics, and computer science—has its own perspective on this issue.
One important point to consider: Language isn’t always used in problem solving: finding your directions, solving a math problem or a puzzle, adapting your body response to an immediate threat… all actions exhibiting a form of intelligence.
From a linguistic perspective, does language equal thought? Yes and no. It depends. Read the literature, form your own opinion, and avoid relying on catchphrases or leaderboard scores. Benchmarks are inherently relative, and the field is far from unanimous on how to define intelligence or intelligent behavior.
There are always nuances in how we perceive “reality.”

Image: read about the “Eliza effect”