AI behaves more like a brain than a database – cognitive science’s role in its origin story helps explain why

How do large language models work? In some ways, like a brain. MF3d/E+ via Getty Images

When people think about what ChatGPT or other large language models are doing behind the scenes, it’s common to reach for the language of computing. You might assume there is a database, or a logical series of steps being executed, in order to provide a response to your query.

Picturing AI responses as akin to your computer pulling up a file is a sensible line of thinking. But it’s incorrect. Understanding the central influence of cognitive science in AI’s evolution helps explain why.