How does meaning arise? Does it require language to be linked to experience of the world? LLMs are not given such connections. Does that mean they can’t understand things? Influential papers have said “yes”, including Harnad, S. (1990) The symbol grounding problem, and Glenberg, A. M., & Robertson, D. A. (2000) Symbol grounding and meaning: A comparison of high-dimensional and embodied theories of meaning.