Ethical LLM-Assisted Research: A Framework for Responsible Delegation, Verification, and Epistemic Value

Abstract

arXiv:2608.23644v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Large language models (LLMs) are becoming routine instruments of scientific research, assisting with literature synthesis, hypothesis development, coding, and formal reasoning. Their use raises a central epistemic question: when parts of scientific reasoning are delegated to an artificial system, what conditions must remain under human control for the resulting knowledge claims to retain epistemic legitimacy and accountable authorship? This paper d