Limitations of language (LoL)

How much of reality can a computer understand, when it relies solely on human generated language? Here are a few key considerations that help in understanding the limits:

1. Multimodal Nature of Reality: Reality is inherently multimodal, encompassing not only textual or verbal information but also visual, auditory, tactile, and other sensory data. Language alone may not capture the full spectrum of these experiences. For instance, the nuances of a sunset, the texture of a fabric, or the complexity of a musical composition are experiences that language can describe but not fully replicate.

2. Context and Embodiment: Much of human understanding is context-driven and tied to physical experiences. Language abstracts these experiences but doesn't always convey the full context. For example, the physical act of riding a bike involves balance, coordination, and spatial awareness, which are difficult to fully communicate through language alone.

3. Emotional and Non-Verbal Communication: Emotions and non-verbal cues play a crucial role in human communication and understanding. While language can describe emotions, it often falls short of conveying the depth and nuance found in facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, etc.

4. Limitations of Semantic Understanding: Language has inherent ambiguities and limitations in expressing certain concepts. Abstract ideas, subjective experiences, and complex phenomena may not be fully expressible in words.

5. Cultural and Contextual Variability: Language is deeply tied to cultural and contextual backgrounds. Words and phrases can have different meanings and connotations in different cultures or contexts. This variability can lead to misunderstandings or incomplete understanding when relying solely on language.

In essence, while language is a powerful tool for communication and understanding, it is not a complete representation of reality.

Human language usage certainly mirrors parts of reality and it is possible to develop a model of those parts of reality from human language alone. But the amount of language utterances required to get a fine grained model of certain parts, that would be easy to obtain via other modalities, is simply too big.

A more holistic approach, incorporating multiple modes of perception and interaction, will be necessary for a computer to develop a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of reality, more quickly.