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| Amid the recent uptake of Generative AI, sociotechnical scholars and critics have traced a multitude of resulting harms, with analyses largely focused on values and axiology (e.g., bias). While value- based analyses are crucial, we argue that ontologies—concerning what we allow ourselves to think or talk about—is a vital but under- recognized dimension in analyzing these systems. Proposing a need for a practice-based engagement with ontologies, we offer four ori- entations for considering ontologies in design: pluralism, grounded- ness, liveliness, and enactment. We share examples of potentialities that are opened up through these orientations across the entire LLM development pipeline by conducting two ontological analyses: examining the responses of four LLM-based chatbots in a prompt- ing exercise, and analyzing the architecture of an LLM-based agent simulation. We conclude by sharing opportunities and limitations of working with ontologies in the design and development of so- ciotechnical systems. |
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