On bullshit, large language models, and the need to curb your enthusiasm

Amidst all the hype around artificial intelligence (AI), particularly regarding large language models (LLMs), generative AI and chatbots like ChatGPT, a surge of headlines is instilling caution and even explicitly calling “bullshit” on such technologies. Should we follow suit? What exactly does it mean to call bullshit on an AI program? When is doing so a good idea, and when might it not be? With this paper, I aim to provide a brief guide on how to call bullshit on ChatGPT and related systems. In short, one must understand the basic nature of LLMs, how they function and what they produce, and one must recognize bullshit. I appeal to the prominent work of the late Harry Frankfurt and suggest that recent accounts jump too quickly to the conclusion that LLMs are bullshitting. In doing so, I offer a more level-headed approach to calling bullshit, and accordingly, a way of navigating some of the recent critiques of generative AI systems.