Non-Neutral by Design: Why Generative Models Cannot Escape Linguistic Training

This article investigates the structural impossibility of semantic neutrality in large language models (LLMs), using GPT as a test subject. It argues that even under strictly formal prompting conditions, such as invented symbolic systems or syntactic proto-languages, GPT reactivates latent semantic structures drawn from its training corpus. The analysis builds upon prior work on syntactic authority, post-referential logic, and algorithmic discourse (Startari, 2025), and introduces empirical tests designed to isolate the model from known linguistic content. These tests demonstrate GPT's consistent failure to interpret or generate structure without semantic interference. The study proposes a falsifiable framework to define and detect semantic contamination in generative systems, asserting that such contamination is not incidental but intrinsic to the architecture of probabilistic language models. The findings challenge prevailing narratives of user-driven interactivity and formal control, establishing that GPT(and similar systems) are non-neutral by design. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15615902 This work is also published with DOI reference in Figshare 10.6084/m9.figshare.29263493 and SSRN http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5288307

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Publication Details

Journal
Knowledge Commons (Lakehead University)
Published
2025-07-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17613/9jnsx-82210
Primary Topic
Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics
Type
article
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article

Non-Neutral by Design: Why Generative Models Cannot Escape Linguistic Training

Knowledge Commons (Lakehead University)
Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics
article

Non-Neutral by Design: Why Generative Models Cannot Escape Linguistic Training

article en

Abstract

This article investigates the structural impossibility of semantic neutrality in large language models (LLMs), using GPT as a test subject. It argues that even under strictly formal prompting conditions, such as invented symbolic systems or syntactic proto-languages, GPT reactivates latent semantic structures drawn from its training corpus. The analysis builds upon prior work on syntactic authority, post-referential logic, and algorithmic discourse (Startari, 2025), and introduces empirical tests designed to isolate the model from known linguistic content. These tests demonstrate GPT's consistent failure to interpret or generate structure without semantic interference. The study proposes a falsifiable framework to define and detect semantic contamination in generative systems, asserting that such contamination is not incidental but intrinsic to the architecture of probabilistic language models. The findings challenge prevailing narratives of user-driven interactivity and formal control, establishing that GPT(and similar systems) are non-neutral by design. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15615902 This work is also published with DOI reference in Figshare 10.6084/m9.figshare.29263493 and SSRN http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5288307

Knowledge Commons (Lakehead University)
Universidad de la República de Uruguay (UY), Universidad La República (CL)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 47%
Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics
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