Research into machine learning, transformers, there's tons of technicalities that enables LLMs. ANd there's more and more "technicalities" being thrown on top of LLMs and we're having modifications to LLMs as well.
LLMs are the tip of a spear of a trendline that didn't involve LLMs. Prior to that we had AI generating art and music through diffusion algorithms. We had AI doing image recognition and doing mind reading. The trendline is clear to anyone but those who think the current state of LLMs and the problems we have with it are completely static in nature.
Follow the 10 year trend-line. That’s the thing that points to the future.
But either way there’s progress on both fronts. Talking to it has improved we just can’t measure it quantitatively imo.