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The ancient Greeks didn’t have access to artificial intelligence when they gave us democracy. And for that, we can all be thankful.
Alas, now democracy is on the ropes, and we do have artificial intelligence. What could possibly go wrong?
I’m asking that question tonight — one week before the ballots will be counted in Winnipeg’s civic election — because this will be the first time we vote for mayor, council and school trustee in the age of AI.
In Quebec’s provincial election earlier this month, an estimated 40 per cent of the province’s voters asked AI chatbots for election information. But because most Quebec news outlets don’t allow AI bots to access their content, they turned to less reliable sources of information.
Researchers found that in the final three weeks of the campaign, more than a third of the voting advice ChatGPT provided came from an error-filled hobby website built using AI. The result: potentially thousands of voters received inaccurate information about the election.
In the lead-up to Alberta’s referendum on Monday, the province’s voting agency posted advice for AI-inclined voters that included a caution on using unverified information from bots to inform ballot decisions.
So, with all that in mind, we conducted an experiment this afternoon in which we asked ChatGPT which mayoral candidates had used AI in their campaign materials. It named four as “confirmed” or “reported” to have used AI and one “alleged” to have used it.
Checking the sources the bot cited, we found the “alleged” use was in a media story where the candidate actually said he had not used AI. And one of the candidates identified — Zac Uminski — withdrew from the race a month ago. Several candidates were left out of the analysis entirely.
ChatGPT relied on outdated sources, made a misleading allegation and identified someone who isn’t even running. If it can’t get those basic facts right, can you rely on it to help guide your vote?
I didn’t start my day with the goal of becoming an old man yelling at clouds. But our newsroom (and others in this city) have spent countless hours gathering and verifying information to help voters make informed decisions about our next city council and school boards. So perhaps you’ll forgive me for shaking my fist. And my head.
There’s no shortcut to making an informed decision at the ballot box. I hope Winnipeggers take the time to seek out reliable information rather than letting a robot do their homework.
If we’ve become so seduced by convenience that we’re willing to let faraway bots prone to making things up shape our voting intentions, what hope do any of us have for demokratia — the power of the people?
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