AINeutralarXiv – CS AI · Jun 116/10
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When Researchers Say Mental Model/Theory of Mind of AI, What Are They Really Talking About?
A position paper challenges the prevailing interpretation of AI systems possessing theory of mind (ToM), arguing that current research conflates sophisticated pattern matching with genuine cognition. The authors propose that AI performance on ToM tasks reflects behavioral mimicry rather than authentic mental models, and recommend shifting toward mutual ToM frameworks that assess human-AI interaction dynamics rather than testing AI systems in isolation.