Inferential License
The normative authority to draw conclusions — and how automated inference redistributes it.
Theory
Inferential license names the normative permission — not the mere capacity — to move from evidence to conclusion within a given practice. A radiologist, a jury, and a peer reviewer each hold different licenses, and each is answerable in different ways for their exercise.
Automated inference does not simply accelerate reasoning; it silently relocates license. When a model 'concludes,' someone must still stand behind the inference, but the ordinary chain from evidence through judgement to answerability is disturbed.
The concept provides a vocabulary for asking a question that classical epistemology tends to skip: not 'is this inference valid?' but 'who is licensed to draw it, in what setting, and to whom must they answer?'
Key publications
- Foundational statement of inferential license in the philosophy of AI (Philosophy & Technology).
- Application to clinical inference and shared decision-making (Journal of Health Communication).
- Discussion of licensing structures in scientific methodology (Philosophies).
A continually updated record is available through the publications page.
Current work
- A comparative study of inferential license across medicine, law, and public administration.
- Work on 'delegated inference' — the conditions under which license can and cannot be transferred to automated systems.
- Collaborations with methodologists on how licensing structures should shape AI evaluation protocols.