Large language models are not about natural language
Computation and Language
2025-12-17 v1 Neurons and Cognition
Abstract
Large Language Models are useless for linguistics, as they are probabilistic models that require a vast amount of data to analyse externalized strings of words. In contrast, human language is underpinned by a mind-internal computational system that recursively generates hierarchical thought structures. The language system grows with minimal external input and can readily distinguish between real language and impossible languages.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.13441,
title = {Large language models are not about natural language},
author = {Johan J. Bolhuis and Andrea Moro and Stephen Crain and Sandiway Fong},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.13441},
year = {2025}
}