I think that the significant distinction is whether an AI system has a utility function that it is attempting to optimize at test time. A LLM does have an utility function, in that there is an objective function written in its training code that it uses to calculate gradients and update its parameters during training. However, once it is deployed, its parameters are frozen and its score on this objective function can no longer impact its behavior. In that sense, I don’t think that it makes sense to think of a LLM as “trying to” optimize this objective after deployment. However, this answer could change in response to changes in model training strategy, which is why this distinction is significant.
I think that the significant distinction is whether an AI system has a utility function that it is attempting to optimize at test time. A LLM does have an utility function, in that there is an objective function written in its training code that it uses to calculate gradients and update its parameters during training. However, once it is deployed, its parameters are frozen and its score on this objective function can no longer impact its behavior. In that sense, I don’t think that it makes sense to think of a LLM as “trying to” optimize this objective after deployment. However, this answer could change in response to changes in model training strategy, which is why this distinction is significant.