Jennifer Nagel (University of Toronto): 'Metacognition and backchannel in conversation: humans versus machines'
Abstract: Face-to-face human conversation essentially involves the bidirectional flow of information, not just in the alternation of speakers, but in special patterns of responsive signaling (‘backchannel’) made by addressees, featuring tokens such as mhm, huh?, mm, yeah, and oh. I argue that these signals implement a form of metacognition at the level of the conversational dyad, enabling the dyad to build common knowledge together in a generator-evaluator structure. Meanwhile, large language models are compromised in their backchannel signaling, for reasons of both training and cognitive architecture. This defective backchannel reduces the epistemic value of the conversations in which LLMs participate, in ways that are subtly evident when LLMs are paired with human conversational partners, and much more strikingly evident in conversations between machines.
Please note: The seminar runs from 15:00 to 17:00, drinks are held in the Faculty Hub afterwards.
Registration: If you do not hold a university card, please contact the seminar convenor or admin@philosophy.ox.ac.uk at least two working days before a seminar to register your attendance.
Jowett Society Organising Committee: Joshua Loo, Zachary Lang, Xavier Morales Zayas and Sepehr Razavi | Jowett Society Website
