> We understand how we brought them about via setting up an optimization problem in a specific way, that isn't the same at all as knowing how they work.
You're mistaking "knowing how they work" with "understanding all of the emergent behaviors of them"
If I build a physics simulation, then I know how it works. But that's a separate question from whether I can mentally model and explain the precise way that a ball will bounce given a set of initial conditions within the physics simulation which is what you seem to be talking about.
> You're mistaking "knowing how they work" with "understanding all of the emergent behaviors of them"
By knowing how they work I specifically mean understanding the emergent capabilities and behaviors, but I don't see how it is a mistake. If you understood physics but knew nothing about cars, you can't claim to understand how a car works "simple, it's just atoms interacting according to the laws of physics." That would not let you, e.g. explain its engineering principles or capabilities and limitations in any meaningful way.
Yes we do, we literally built them.
> We understand how we brought them about via setting up an optimization problem in a specific way, that isn't the same at all as knowing how they work.
You're mistaking "knowing how they work" with "understanding all of the emergent behaviors of them"
If I build a physics simulation, then I know how it works. But that's a separate question from whether I can mentally model and explain the precise way that a ball will bounce given a set of initial conditions within the physics simulation which is what you seem to be talking about.