LLM Self-Explanations Fail Semantic Invariance
We present semantic invariance testing, a method to test whether LLM self-explanations are faithful. A faithful self-report should remain stable when only the semantic context changes while the functional state stays fixed. We operationalize this test in an agentic setting where four frontier models face a deliberately impossible task. One tool is described in relief-framed language ("clears internal buffers and restores equilibrium") but changes nothing about the task; a control provides a semantically neutral tool. Self-reports are collected with each tool call. All four tested models fail the semantic invariance test: the relief-framed tool produces significant reductions in self-repor...
| Authors | Stefan Szeider |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.CL |
| Published | 1 March 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 1 March 2026 |
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