ChatGPT: A canary in the coal mine or a parrot in the echo chamber? Detecting fraud with LLM: The case of FTX

Abstract

Does the paradigm shift brought by Large Language Models (LLMs) hold the promise of revolutionizing financial analysis? Our article tackles this question by exploring fraud detection in cryptocurrency exchanges, with a focus on FTX. We study the abilities of generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to serve as early-warning systems of fraud and identify red flags in the particular and difficult case where no financial information is available. We recognize several challenges to provide insights beyond human knowledge. To achieve a higher degree of scrutiny, we highlight the role of sequential interactions between the AI Chatbot and the researcher as well as the inclusion of external contents, a technique known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). Therefore, this article serves as a cautionary tale on the necessary conditions to achieve augmented intelligence.