> there's a difference between solving problems _with_ LLMs, and having LLMs solve it _for you_.
If there is a difference, then fundamentally LLMs cannot solve problems for you. They can only apply transformations using already known operators. No different than a calculator, except with exponentially more built-in functions.
But I'm not sure that there is a difference. A problem is only a problem if you recognize it, and once you recognize a problem then anything else that is involved along the way towards finding a solution is merely helping you solve it. If a "problem" is solved for you, it was never a problem. So, for each statement to have any practical meaning, they must be interpreted with equivalency.
There is a difference between thinking about the context of a problem and "critical thinking" about the problem or its possible solutions.
There is a measurable decrease in critical thinking skills when people consistently offload the thinking about a problem to an LLM. This is where the primary difference is between solving problems with an LLM vs having it solved for you with an LLM. And, that is cause for concern.
Two studies on impact of LLMs and generative AI on critical thinking:
If there is a difference, then fundamentally LLMs cannot solve problems for you. They can only apply transformations using already known operators. No different than a calculator, except with exponentially more built-in functions.
But I'm not sure that there is a difference. A problem is only a problem if you recognize it, and once you recognize a problem then anything else that is involved along the way towards finding a solution is merely helping you solve it. If a "problem" is solved for you, it was never a problem. So, for each statement to have any practical meaning, they must be interpreted with equivalency.