LLMs Have No Values — Yet Their Words Carry Values
Words Carry Values People often say: “AI is neutral.” “It has no opinions.” “It doesn’t judge.” That sounds comforting. But it’s only half true. LLMs have no values of their own — yet their words still carry values. Let’s understand why. What It Means to Have No Values LLMs do not: Believe in right or wrong Care about fairness Feel guilt or pride Want good outcomes They don’t wake up with morals. They don’t choose kindness. They simply generate words based on patterns they learned. So yes — AI itself has no values . But that’s not the end of the story. Words Always Carry Values Language is never empty. Every sentence carries: A point of view A tone A priority A hidden assumption When an AI says: What is important What is safe What is acceptable What should be avoided Those are value signals . Even silence sends a message. Where Do These Values Come From? Not from the AI. They come from: Training data written by humans Rules set by designers Safety limits chosen by organizations Incenti...
