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Whirring
/ˈwɜr.ɪŋ.wɜr/v. intr.Common
Etymology
From Old Eng. whirren (to spin pointlessly) + Lat. computare + undocumented Anthropic internal memo dated Q3 2023 referencing 'the fan noise problem'
Definition
The state in which Claude's reasoning processes achieve maximum rotational velocity without yet producing directional output. Distinct from Spinning in that Whirring implies an audible quality to the cognitive effort, as though gears are physically engaged.
Diagram
Usage
"The model was observed Whirring for approximately 4.7 seconds before producing a response that was, by all metrics, indistinguishable from one that would have required no Whirring whatsoever." - Chen et al., 'Acoustic Metaphors in Large Language Model Telemetry,' NeurIPS Workshop Proceedings, 2024
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