On Trusting Chatbots

Authors

P.D. Magnus, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2446-3494

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.1017/epi.2024.29

Abstract

This paper focuses on the epistemic situation one faces when using a Large Language Model based chatbot like ChatGPT: When reading the output of the chatbot, how should one decide whether or not to believe it? By surveying strategies we use with other, more familiar sources of information, I argue that chatbots present a novel challenge. This makes the question of how one could trust a chatbot especially vexing.

Comments

This is the publisher's version. The Version of Record can be found here: Magnus, P. D. (2025). On trusting chatbots. Episteme, 1–11. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/epi.2024.29

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Magnus, P. D. (2025). On trusting chatbots. Episteme, 1–11.