Beyond Comprehension: New AI Biologists Treat LLMs as Alien Landscapes
Published:Jan 12, 2026 11:00
•1 min read
•MIT Tech Review
Analysis
The analogy presented, while visually compelling, risks oversimplifying the complexity of LLMs and potentially misrepresenting their inner workings. The focus on size as a primary characteristic could overshadow crucial aspects like emergent behavior and architectural nuances. Further analysis should explore how this perspective shapes the development and understanding of LLMs beyond mere scale.
Key Takeaways
- •The article implicitly suggests a novel approach to studying LLMs.
- •The Twin Peaks analogy visualizes the immense scale of these models.
- •The title sets up an interesting metaphor about how researchers are working with LLMs
Reference
“How large is a large language model? Think about it this way. In the center of San Francisco there’s a hill called Twin Peaks from which you can view nearly the entire city. Picture all of it—every block and intersection, every neighborhood and park, as far as you can see—covered in sheets of paper.”