  Theory based AI research has had a hard time recently and the aim here is to
propose a model of what LLMs are actually doing when they impress us with their
language skills. The model integrates three established theories of human
decision-making from philosophy, sociology, and computer science. The paper
starts with the collective understanding of reasoning from the early days of AI
research - primarily because that model is how we humans think we think, and is
the most accessible. It then describes what is commonly thought of as "reactive
systems" which is the position taken by many philosophers and indeed many
contemporary AI researchers. The third component to the proposed model is from
sociology and, although not flattering to our modern ego, provides an
explanation to a puzzle that for many years has occupied those of us working on
conversational user interfaces.
