If LLMs are stochastic parrots, so is the basal ganglia: procedure memory runs on probability too
Parking-Ad-4250 · reddit · 2026-08-18
The poster draws an analogy: LLMs are criticized as "stochastic parrots," but cognitive science shows the basal ganglia — the brain region behind procedural memory guiding habits, actions and decisions — also relies heavily on probability and prediction.
If both operate on probabilistic prediction at a mechanism level, is it valid to say part of the human brain works like an LLM, at least in terms of utility? They acknowledge other brain regions handle more complex reasoning and cite the Stochastic Parrots paper.
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