The Linguistics of Large Language Models

Large Language Models are becoming increasingly prevalent in all aspects of our lives. But what is their place in linguistics? What linguistic phenomena do they exhibit and not exhibit? And what does this even tell us? In this class, we will address the use of LLMs in linguistics and related fields - both their limitations and advantages. This will include a discussion of the models that LLMs are founded on, how they can be probed for linguistic representations, and used as linguistic or psycholinguistic subjects. Ultimately, we will attempt to answer the question of the usefulness of these models and the ways they could be used as tools for linguistic research.

Crosslistings: COGS 22503