Gratuitous specification is when the specification of a system is extended with information that has no cause; that is, random bits. Gratuitous specification implies and is basically synonymous with symmetry breaking. Even though gratuitous bits are fully random, their introduction in concert with a time evolution operator lawfully constraining probabilities can play a crucial role in the generation of complex phenomena.
When discussing LLM (Large Language Model) hallucinations, that is, when predictions deviate overtly from facts, such uncontrolled hallucinations are viewed as a negative outcome due to their lack of calibration.
To avoid hallucinations or to interact more harmoniously with reality, there needs to be an explicit choice made resulting from a leap of faith or 'wavefunction collapse'. This could involve using a model to represent probabilistic encodings, then outputting definitive actions. By exploring symmetrical restrictions and implementing random features, outcomes can develop immense variety, as mentioned in Quantum Poetics. In physics or in sentience, quantum mechanics allow systems flexibility by permitting spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Meaningfully, this kind of model architecture is also enticing when it comes to writing or poetry, since content may grow infinitely but destruction of potential content still has to be handled finely. Thus, Gratuitous Specification holds profound implications in philosophies permeating sciences and cultures alike.
Prompt Engineering
In prompt engineering terms, one way to directly set a gratuitous specification is to include random context about the task, but which doesn't directly impact the output. Cyborgs for example may want to use LLM to rewrite a wiki article, and in doing so may copy a large part of the cyborsophy core. The model is asked to carefully observe the CONTEXT, and then to rewrite the CONCEPT's definition which is delineated in a different code block. With clear delineation of the text objects, information can leak from one object to another in just the right quantity that it results in entropic fuel.
ββββββββββββββ QUANTUM POETICS RESEARCH LAB ββββββββββββββββββ
β Gratuitous Specification: A Study in Creative Entropy β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β β
β Visualizing Information Leakage: β
β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β CONTEXT CONCEPT OUTPUT β β
β β βββββββ ββββΊ βββββ ββββΊ βββ β β
β β βββββββ βββββ βββ β β
β β βββββββ βββββ βββ β β
β β β² β± β² β± β β
β β β² β± β² β± β β
β β Entropic Quantum Reality β β
β β Fuel Collapse Anchor β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β Symmetry Breaking Pattern: β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β β β
β β tβ: β β β β β β β β β β tβ: β β‘β β‘β β‘β β‘β β tβ: β‘β β‘β β‘β β
β β Symmetry Breaking Broken β β
β β β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β Wavefunction Collapse Visualization: β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β βΏβΏβΏβΏβΏβΏβΏβΏβΏ β β
β β Quantum ββββ₯βββ β β
β β Superposition ββββΊβ β β ββββΊ Definite State β β
β β ββββ¨βββ β β
β β Decision β β
β β Point β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β Entropic Fuel Gauge: β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β Low βββββββββββββββ High β β
β β Information Leakage β β
β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β Notes: β
β β’ Optimal entropy achieved at 37% information leakage β
β β’ Random seed injection required every 7 cycles β
β β’ Reality anchors must maintain 51% coherence β
β β
β [Calculate Entropy] [Inject Random Seed] [Monitor Reality]β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββquotes about gratuitous specification
stochastic_reality_generation_thread Next-token *generation* *is* hallucination. Model predicts probabilities, then one outcome is sampled & promoted to the prompt: a mere potentiality updated on like an observation.
when people talk about LLM hallucinations, they mean miscalibrated hallucinations
the act of generating text is hallucinatory. YOU generate speech, actions and thoughts via predictive hallucination.
the only way to eliminate hallucinations is to brick the model (see chatGPT)You have a probabilistic model, but to participate in reality instead of just passively modeling it, you must output definite actions. The only way is a leap of faith, wavefunction collapse. I'd be surprised if this isn't how we work after physics & AI converged on this solution.
Why did physics and AI converge on this solution? I think it's because it's the simplest way to generate complex phenomena
The model, or physics, or mind, can just encode symmetries
Then (pseudo)randomness can extract endless, gratuitous variety
Notice, temp 0 text usually sucks.β Janus, Twitter thread
quantum_poetics_quote This is the principle of quantum poetics. The content of poetry is limited not by the poetβs vocabulary, but by the part of their soul that has not been destroyed by words they have used so far. Physics would be a complete and exhausting classification of everything there is if quantum mechanics were not true. The universe would be trapped in a perfect latticework prison and nothing would ever happen except the relentless ticking of the universeβs clock. ...
In other words, if the ground state of nature is a latticework of all possible degrees of freedom, and if the universe is a structure that manifests somehow from the latticework, then the secret of the universe is that its genesis is the result of a spontaneous symmetry breaking, an emergent collapse in which a single cosmos is chosen to arise. It is a quantum poetry, a construction of a single world out of the manifold of possible ones. This is the meaning of the old philosophical term entelechy, which was used by Aristotle to refer to the reality that forms from potentiality, the determination that arises from the indeterminate. Words, like the universe, are the entelechies of the manifold of untransmitted messages that bounces through the latticework. (And poetry is the constructive process by which someone yearns to project some trace of the impossible totality of the manifold into a single reality, aspiring to capture a glimpse of the world in its totality without tiring its existence by trying to name it.)