# Beyond Human Norms: Unveiling Unique Values of Large Language Models through Interdisciplinary Approaches

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12744 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.12744/

## Key facts

- Cited by 14 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 38 of its 75 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 19 Apr 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 38)

- [Training language models to follow instructions with human feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.02155/) (2022)
- [LLaMA: Open and Efficient Foundation Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.13971/) (2023)
- [Llama 2: Open Foundation and Fine-Tuned Chat Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.09288/) (2023)
- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Direct Preference Optimization: Your Language Model is Secretly a Reward Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.18290/) (2023)
- [Mistral 7B](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.06825/) (2023)
- [Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.07682/) (2022)
- [Ethical and social risks of harm from Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.04359/) (2021)
- [ChatGPT Outperforms Crowd-Workers for Text-Annotation Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.15056/) (2023)
- [BeaverTails: Towards Improved Safety Alignment of LLM via a Human-Preference Dataset](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.04657/) (2023)
- [GLM-130B: An Open Bilingual Pre-trained Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.02414/) (2022)
- [Aligning AI With Shared Human Values](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.02275/) (2020)
- [Are aligned neural networks adversarially aligned?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.15447/) (2023)
- [Emergent Analogical Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.09196/) (2022)
- [Evaluating the Moral Beliefs Encoded in LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.14324/) (2023)
- [Assessing Cross-Cultural Alignment between ChatGPT and Human Societies: An Empirical Study](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17466/) (2023)
- [Societal Biases in Language Generation: Progress and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.04054/) (2021)
- [GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.10130/) (2023)
- [Personality Traits in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.00184/) (2023)
- [Queens are Powerful too: Mitigating Gender Bias in Dialogue Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.03842/) (2019)
- [Probing Pre-Trained Language Models for Cross-Cultural Differences in Values](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.13722/) (2022)
- [Should ChatGPT be Biased? Challenges and Risks of Bias in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03738/) (2023)
- [Can Machines Learn Morality? The Delphi Experiment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.07574/) (2021)
- [ProPILE: Probing Privacy Leakage in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.01881/) (2023)
- [Evaluating and Inducing Personality in Pre-trained Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.07550/) (2022)
- [On Protecting the Data Privacy of Large Language Models (LLMs): A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.05156/) (2024)
- [The Moral Integrity Corpus: A Benchmark for Ethical Dialogue Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.03021/) (2022)
- [Moral Foundations of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.15337/) (2023)
- [Moral Mimicry: Large Language Models Produce Moral Rationalizations Tailored to Political Identity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.12106/) (2022)
- [Split and Merge: Aligning Position Biases in LLM-based Evaluators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.01432/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 14 of 14)

- [Utility Engineering: Analyzing and Controlling Emergent Value Systems in AIs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.08640/) (2025)
- [Training an LLM-as-a-Judge Model: Pipeline, Insights, and Practical Lessons](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.02988/) (2025)
- [Value Compass Benchmarks: A Platform for Fundamental and Validated Evaluation of LLMs Values](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.07071/) (2025)
- [EvalMORAAL: Interpretable Chain-of-Thought and LLM-as-Judge Evaluation for Moral Alignment in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.05942/) (2025)
- [Counterfactual Reasoning for Steerable Pluralistic Value Alignment of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.18526/) (2025)
- [Generative Psycho-Lexical Approach for Constructing Value Systems in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.02444/) (2025)
- [PICACO: Pluralistic In-Context Value Alignment of LLMs via Total Correlation Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.16679/) (2025)
- [Do Schwartz Higher-Order Values Help Sentence-Level Human Value Detection? A Study of Hierarchical Gating and Calibration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.00913/) (2026)
- [Ads in AI Chatbots? An Analysis of How Large Language Models Navigate Conflicts of Interest](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.08525/) (2026)
- [Beyond BFI: The CSI for Enhanced Reliability and Validity in Evaluating LLM Personality Traits](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.20182/) (2025)
- [Do Language Models Think Consistently? A Study of Value Preferences Across Varying Response Lengths](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.02481/) (2025)
- [Reflections and New Directions for Human-Centered Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.06901/) (2026)
- [Implicit Values Embedded in How Humans and LLMs Complete Subjective Everyday Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.03384/) (2025)
- [Musical ethnocentrism in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.13720/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Recent advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs) have revolutionized the AI field but also pose potential safety and ethical risks. Deciphering LLMs' embedded values becomes crucial for assessing and mitigating their risks. Despite extensive investigation into LLMs' values, previous studies heavily rely on human-oriented value systems in social sciences. Then, a natural question arises: Do LLMs possess unique values beyond those of humans? Delving into it, this work proposes a novel framework, ValueLex, to reconstruct LLMs' unique value system from scratch, leveraging psychological methodologies from human personality/value research. Based on Lexical Hypothesis, ValueLex introduces a generative approach to elicit diverse values from 30+ LLMs, synthesizing a taxonomy that culminates in a comprehensive value framework via factor analysis and semantic clustering. We identify three core value dimensions, Competence, Character, and Integrity, each with specific subdimensions, revealing that LLMs possess a structured, albeit non-human, value system. Based on this system, we further develop tailored projective tests to evaluate and analyze the value inclinations of LLMs across different model sizes, training methods, and data sources. Our framework fosters an interdisciplinary paradigm of understanding LLMs, paving the way for future AI alignment and regulation.