Large language models (LLMs) are transforming human-computer interaction and conceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) with their impressive capacities for conversing and reasoning in natural language. There is growing interest in whether LLMs have theory of mind (ToM); the ability to reason about the mental and emotional states of others that is core to human social intelligence. As LLMs are integrated into the fabric of our personal, professional and social lives and given greater agency to make decisions with real-world consequences, there is a critical need to understand how they can be aligned with human values. ToM seems to be a promising direction of inquiry in this regard. Following the literature on the role and impacts of human ToM, this paper identifies key areas in which LLM ToM will show up in human:LLM interactions at individual and group levels, and what opportunities and risks for alignment are raised in each. On the individual level, the paper considers how LLM ToM might manifest in goal specification, conversational adaptation, empathy and anthropomorphism. On the group level, it considers how LLM ToM might facilitate collective alignment, cooperation or competition, and moral judgement-making. The paper lays out a broad spectrum of potential implications and suggests the most pressing areas for future research.

翻译：大语言模型凭借其在自然语言对话与推理方面的卓越能力，正在改变人机交互方式及对人工智能的认知。当前学界日益关注大语言模型是否具备心智理论——即推断他人心理与情感状态的能力，而这种能力正是人类社交智能的核心。随着大语言模型深度融入个人、职业及社交生活，并被赋予更多具有现实影响的决策自主权，如何使其与人类价值观对齐成为关键议题。在此背景下，心智理论展现出极具前景的研究方向。本文基于人类心智理论作用与影响的现有文献，系统识别大语言模型心智理论在个体与群体层面的人机交互中可能呈现的关键领域，并分析各领域对齐面临的机遇与风险。在个体层面，论文探讨了大语言模型心智理论如何体现于目标设定、对话适应性、共情能力及拟人化倾向；在群体层面，则分析其如何促进集体对齐、合作或竞争行为以及道德判断形成。本文系统梳理了潜在影响谱系，并指出未来研究亟需突破的重点方向。