> What makes natural language great is the ability for humans to create a shared model of understanding that aims to eliminate ambiguity.
I'd say that natural language enables shared understanding because it *allows* ambiguity. We can construct abstractions and find analogs to put them into words. We expect the hearer to reconstruct those abstractions from a different starting point and by referring to a different set of experiences. The potential for ambiguity is a necessary part of that process. We get closer to a reliably shared construction by layering our analogs and testing our respective mental models against each other.
Formalism and DSLs definitely do a better job by giving us an initial set of shared meanings to work from. An LLM might be able to wrap a fuzzy interface around a DSL but I agree that sharing a common semantic framework without fuzzy mediation might be a much better idea.
I'd say that natural language enables shared understanding because it *allows* ambiguity. We can construct abstractions and find analogs to put them into words. We expect the hearer to reconstruct those abstractions from a different starting point and by referring to a different set of experiences. The potential for ambiguity is a necessary part of that process. We get closer to a reliably shared construction by layering our analogs and testing our respective mental models against each other.
Formalism and DSLs definitely do a better job by giving us an initial set of shared meanings to work from. An LLM might be able to wrap a fuzzy interface around a DSL but I agree that sharing a common semantic framework without fuzzy mediation might be a much better idea.