OpenAI suspends developer for ChatGPT misuse in US Presidential campaign
OpenAI has suspended a developer account linked to a bot impersonating US Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips, per The Washington Post. This marks the first time OpenAI took action against its tools being used in political campaigns. The bot, called Dean.Bot, was brainchild of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Matt Krisiloff and Jed Somers, who also started a super PAC supporting Phillips named "We Deserve Better." The super PAC contracted with AI start-up Delphi, whose account was suspended by OpenAI late Friday.
"We Deserve Better" received $1 million in funding
"We Deserve Better" collaborated with Delphi to develop Dean.Bot, after receiving $1 million in funding from billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. The bot utilized ChatGPT, allowing it to engage with voters in real-time through a website. However, OpenAI Spokesperson Lindsey Held stated, "Anyone who builds with our tools must follow our usage policies." "We recently removed a developer account that was knowingly violating our API usage policies which disallow political campaigning or impersonating an individual without consent," she added.
Delphi took down Dean.Bot after the account suspension
Following the suspension of Delphi's account, the start-up removed Dean.Bot from its platform. Although it was an early use of an emerging technology, researchers have raised concerns about the potential harm AI bots like Dean.Bot could cause to elections. Despite the bot including a disclaimer stating it was an AI tool and not the actual Dean Phillips, requiring voter consent for its use, experts argue that such technologies could still be dangerous even with disclaimers in place.
What are the concerns over AI bots in political campaigns?
Supporters of AI bots in political campaigns believe that when used responsibly, the bots can help educate voters by offering an engaging way to learn more about candidates. However, without proper disclaimers, these technologies could lead to mass robocalls to voters who think they're talking to real candidates or supporters. Additionally, AI systems could create disinformation in ads or content, such as fake websites, on a large scale.
AI in campaigns can be beneficial if used ethically
While AI bots have the potential to be beneficial in political campaigns when used ethically, there are significant risks associated with their misuse. OpenAI's suspension of the developer account linked to Dean.Bot highlights the importance of adhering to usage policies and ensuring transparency in the use of AI technologies. Until late Friday, the bot was accessible to the public without ChatGPT. However, in response to its account suspension, Delphi took it down.
