---
title: "The “Godfather of AI” Just Trashed GPT-3"
description: "GPT-3, an artificial intelligence algorithm, is capable of writing shockingly-coherent text. But that mean it's useful, argues Facebook AI head Yann LeCun."
date: "2020-10-27"
modified: "2020-10-27"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski.md"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/godfather-ai-trashed-gpt3"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "gpt-3"
  - "the digest"
  - "yann lecun"
---

# The “Godfather of AI” Just Trashed GPT-3

![GPT-3, an artificial intelligence algorithm, is capable of writing shockingly-coherent text. But that mean it's useful, argues Facebook AI head Yann LeCun.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/godfather-ai-trashed-gpt3.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: OpenAI\</em\>*

## Trash Talk

GPT-3, an advanced language-processing artificial intelligence algorithm developed by OpenAI, is really good at what it does — [churning out humanlike text](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/newspaper-publishes-oped-gpt3.md>).

But Yann LeCun, the Chief AI Scientist at Facebook who's [been called](<https://blog.frase.io/who-are-the-godfathers-of-ai/>) a "godfather of AI," trashed the algorithm in a [Tuesday Facebook post](<https://www.facebook.com/yann.lecun/posts/10157253205637143>), writing that "people have completely unrealistic expectations about what large-scale language models such as GPT-3 can do."

## Glitching Again

LeCun cites a recent experiment by the medical AI firm NABLA, which found that GPT-3 is woefully inadequate for use in a healthcare setting because writing coherent sentences isn't the same as being able to reason or understand what it's saying.

"It's entertaining, and perhaps mildly useful as a creative help," LeCun wrote. "But trying to build intelligent machines by scaling up language models is like \[using\] high-altitude airplanes to go to the Moon. You might beat altitude records, but going to the Moon will require a completely different approach."

## Medical Malpractice

After testing it in a variety of medical scenarios, NABLA found that there's a huge difference between GPT-3 being able to form coherent sentences and actually being useful.

In one case, the algorithm was unable to add up the cost of items in a medical bill, and in a vastly more dangerous situation, [actually recommended](<https://www.nabla.com/uploads/gp4.jpg>) that a mock patient kill themself.

"As a question-answering system," LeCun wrote, "GPT-3 is not very good."

**More on GPT-3:** *[Major Newspaper Publishes Op-Ed Written by GPT-3](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/newspaper-publishes-oped-gpt3.md>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)

## More

- [Facebook’s Chief AI Scientist Says LLMs Are Just a Passing Fad](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/yann-lecun-large-language-models-fad.md>)
- [Godfather of AI Blasts Elon Musk](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-godfather-blasts-elon-musk.md>)
- [OpenAI’s Video-Generating AI Is “Doomed to Failure,” Says Meta’s Top AI Scientist](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-video-ai-doomed-meta-scientist.md>)
- [Godfather of AI Tells Us to Stop Freaking Out Over Its “Existential Risk” To Humanity](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/godfather-ai-stop-freaking-out.md>)
- [Godfather of AI Says Elon Musk Is Lying About Self-Driving Teslas](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/yann-lecun-elon-musk-lying-fsd.md>)
- [Elon Musk Got Destroyed After Accusing Top AI Scientist of “Going Soft”](<https://futurism.com/elon-musk-destroyed-top-ai-scientist-yann-lecun.md>)
- [Meta’s Head of AI Has Some Interesting Beliefs About Dominance and Submission](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/meta-head-ai-dominance-submission.md>)
- [Godfather of AI Warns That Powerful Companies Are Seizing Control of It](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/godfather-of-ai-warns-control.md>)