Why LLMs Can't Spell 'Strawberry' And Other Odd Use Cases

Bahama-3-70b, an AI language model, excels at tasks involving natural language understanding, such as writing, reasoning, and dialogue, but struggles with character-level tasks and deterministic computations like counting letters or performing mathematical operations due to its reliance on tokenization and probabilistic outputs rather than exact calculations. This limitation is not a flaw of the model but rather a reflection of its design, which focuses on generating the most likely next token rather than precise, deterministic results. The text emphasizes the importance of using the right tool for specific tasks, illustrating how relying on an AI model for precise computations or low-level string manipulations can lead to unreliable outcomes, similar to measuring a wall with a hammer instead of a ruler. By understanding the strengths and limitations of LLMs, users can better harness their potential while avoiding misapplications, using them as a specific tool rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.