Sealed Knowledges: The Impact and Underlying Assumptions of Integrating Direct Answers into Online Search
Presented by Nora
Nora’s research questions ethical approaches to chatbots and language technology and argues for a post-anthropocentric, structural and power-aware understanding of the implications of language technology. Currently, she is on a research stay at the University of Washington under the supervision of Prof. Emily Bender.
Abstract
The integration of large language models (LLMs) to provide direct answers to online search queries signals a significant change in online search. Questioning the implications of this new search paradigm, Nora introduces the term “Sealed Knowledges” to highlight the increasingly difficult access to a plurality of potential answers through the output of a singular, authoritative, and plausible-sounding paragraph of text. She argues that the integration of language models for the provision of direct answers in search engines is based on a de-situated and disembodied understanding of knowledge, affects users’ subjectivities, and can lead to an increasing spread of misinformation.