Definition
Plain language
A system looking inward to notice and honestly report on its own thinking.
As stated in the literature
A model's ability to access and accurately verbalize its own internal states or the true drivers of its outputs; failures produce sincere-but-wrong self-reports, distinct from deliberate deception.
Also called: introspect
Why it matters: Without reliable introspection, a system's explanations of itself can be sincerely offered yet completely wrong, making it hard to trust its self-reports.
For example, when asked why it chose a particular answer, a model with good introspection can accurately name the reasons that actually shaped its response rather than making up a plausible-sounding story.
Heard on the show
“They're asking the model to introspect about the asker.”Episode 015 — The Audit Number Isn't What You Think: Sycophancy and the Case Against Single-Prompt Bias Tests