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LLM as contextual thesaurus for writing

via jbranchaud@gmail.com

https://bsky.app/profile/justinjackson.ca/post/3lmdjuld6lk2f
Writing LLM

Justin describes a use case for LLMs in writing, where he asked for the difference between "consumed" and "subsumed" and which would make more sense in what he is trying to say. The LLM gives definitions of both and suggests that "subsumed" is a better fit citing specifically why in the context of what is written.

I've done this and a similar thing where I'm trying to remember a word, it is on the tip of my tongue, so I describe what I'm trying to say and the LLM makes some suggestions. This can also be generally done for terms and phrases where you know the general idea but aren't sure what the technical term is.

Here is an example of this that I just did with Claude:

Me: "What do you call the kind of cognitive bias where you have already made up your mind, so as you engage in a shallow investigation, you key in to supporting evidence and ignore things that contradict your opinion?"

Claude:

This is known as confirmation bias. It's the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports your pre-existing beliefs or values, while giving less consideration to alternative possibilities or contradictory evidence.
When experiencing confirmation bias, people tend to:

  • Selectively notice and emphasize evidence that supports their existing belief
  • Discount or ignore evidence that contradicts their view
  • Interpret ambiguous information in ways that reinforce their position
  • Seek out sources that align with their perspective

It's one of the most well-documented cognitive biases and affects people across many domains, including politics, personal relationships, scientific research, and everyday decision-making. Confirmation bias can be particularly problematic because it creates a self-reinforcing cycle that makes it difficult to change one's mind even when presented with new, relevant information.