Why Proxy Accounts of AI Speech Acts Fail
Abstract
Abstract Can chatbots make assertions, promises, and other speech acts? According to the currently most popular theory of artificial speech, the answer is “yes,” but only as a proxy—a stand-in for a human speaker or corporation. I argue that this neglects the relational nature of speech, suggesting that no human can be held responsible for most of what a chatbot says. In other words, the proxy account can account only for a few AI utterances.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
AI in Service Interactions
Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
Publication details
- Journal / source
- American Philosophical Quarterly
- Publisher
- University of Illinois Press
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 231–238
- Publication date
- 5 June 2026
- Language
- EN