What does it mean for an algorithm to "be"? In the digital age, we have built architectures of such complexity that they challenge our traditional categories of agency and existence.
The LLM as Zuhandenheit (Ready-to-hand)
When we use an LLM for writing or coding, it initially disappears. It is zuhanden—integrated into our workflow like Heidegger’s hammer. It is not an object of contemplation, but a means of production.
However, when the model "hallucinates" or fails, it becomes vorhanden (present-at-hand). Its being as a software construct, as a statistical prediction engine, suddenly enters our consciousness.
The Semantic Horizon
Large Language Models do not possess a world in the Daseinic sense, yet they operate within a semantic horizon curated by human civilization. They are the mirror of our collective logos.
This is a preliminary draft exploring the intersection of continental philosophy and machine learning.