Imitation versus Innovation: What children can do that large language and language-and-vision models cannot (yet)?

Understand

Much discussion about large language models and language-and-vision models has focused on whether these models are intelligent agents.

• We present an alternative perspective.
• We argue that these artificial intelligence models are cultural technologies that enhance cultural transmission in the modern world, and are efficient imitation engines.
• We explore what AI models can tell us about imitation and innovation by evaluating their capacity to design new tools and discover novel causal structures, and contrast their responses with those of human children.