I think we're drastically oversimplifying what "pattern matching" means. It is also one of the fundamental mechanisms by which the human brain operates. I believe we are consciously (or perhaps subconsciously) conditioned to think that human "logic" and "reasoning" are several degrees more advanced than pattern matching. However, I don't think this is true.

The fundamental difference lies in how patterns are formed in each case. For LLMs, all they know are the patterns they observe in "words" - that is the only "sense" they possess. But for humans, pattern recognition involves continuously ingesting and identifying patterns across our five primary senses—not just separately, but simultaneously.

For example, when an LLM describes something as "ball-shaped," it cannot feel the shape of a ball because it lacks another sense to associate with the word "ball-shaped." In contrast, humans have the sense of touch, allowing them to associate the word or sound pattern "ball" with the physical sensation of holding a ball.