Auditing is not Evaluating: LLM Audit Requires Dynamic, Contextual, Budget-aware and Reliable Evidence
Abstract
Auditing large language models (LLMs) is increasingly urgent as these systems are deployed in high-stakes settings, yet existing evaluation practices are ill-suited to meet auditing requirements. Directly repurposing standard evaluation tools can yield incomplete or misleading conclusions, e.g. overstating robustness when evidence comes from static prompts rather than adaptive, real-world interactions. This position paper argues that LLM audits must instead generate dynamic, context-sensitive, budget-aware, and reliable evidence. To support this position, we analyze how each of these principles can be operationalized through a four-component framework: Auditing Scope, Interactor, Evaluator, and Output. We highlight design requirements, limitations and research directions, demonstrating how high-level principles can be translated into concrete, actionable, evidence-based procedures.