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Paul Henkelman

Forthcoming note · January 30, 2026

Model Epistemology and the Question of Machine Knowledge

A working note on what it means for AI systems to know, infer, and justify under operational constraints.

As AI systems become operational decision participants, technical metrics alone are no longer enough.

We need a clearer account of what models know, what they approximate, and where their confidence should be bounded. This is not an abstract exercise; epistemic ambiguity directly affects system design, risk handling, and human oversight.

This note frames model epistemology as a practical architecture concern, not just a philosophical side topic.