Enterprises using LLM optimization tools often mistakenly believe they are not responsible for consumer harm due to the model's third-party and probabilistic nature. However, once optimization begins, such as through prompt shaping or retrieval tuning, responsibility shifts to the enterprise, as they intentionally influence how the model represents them. This intervention can lead to increased inclusion frequency, degraded reasoning quality, and inconsistent conclusions, making it crucial for enterprises to explain and evidence the effects of their influence. Without proper governance and inspectable reasoning artifacts, claiming "the model did it" becomes an inadequate defense, highlighting the need for enterprises to be accountable for AI outcomes. This matters because as AI becomes more integrated into decision-making processes, understanding and managing its influence is essential for ethical and responsible use.
