Is Undisclosed LLM Use Morally Wrong?

Much Large Language Model (LLM) use is happening undisclosed. This is troubling because the undisclosed use of LLMs to mediate interpersonal communication can be a morally objectionable kind of deception. It is morally objectionable when the intentional failure to disclose LLM use deprives others of valuable information they need for their epistemic appraisal of, inter alia, another’s authentic competencies. In this paper, we provide an analysis of deception in the context of undisclosed LLM use and argue that in some cases this amounts to an ethically salient epistemic wrongdoing.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Philosophy & Technology
Published
2026-04-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-026-01094-5
Primary Topic
Computational and Text Analysis Methods
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Is Undisclosed LLM Use Morally Wrong?

Siavosh Sahebi, Thomas Montefiore
Philosophy & Technology
Computational and Text Analysis Methods
article

Is Undisclosed LLM Use Morally Wrong?

Siavosh Sahebi, Thomas Montefiore
article en

Abstract

Much Large Language Model (LLM) use is happening undisclosed. This is troubling because the undisclosed use of LLMs to mediate interpersonal communication can be a morally objectionable kind of deception. It is morally objectionable when the intentional failure to disclose LLM use deprives others of valuable information they need for their epistemic appraisal of, inter alia, another’s authentic competencies. In this paper, we provide an analysis of deception in the context of undisclosed LLM use and argue that in some cases this amounts to an ethically salient epistemic wrongdoing.

Philosophy & TechnologyVol. 39(2)
Macquarie University (AU)
Macquarie University
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Computational and Text Analysis Methods
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.