The use of AI in political contexts has raised concerns about the spread of disinformation and computational propaganda. OpenAI, which has banned the use of its technology for creating chatbots that mimic political candidates or provide false voting information, has not yet commented on whether the Kennedy campaign's chatbot violated its rules. The incident highlights the challenges of enforcing such restrictions, particularly when third-party providers are involved.
Key takeaways:
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign has been using an AI chatbot, which was found to be circumventing OpenAI’s restrictions on political use by utilizing Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service through a third-party provider, LiveChatAI.
- The chatbot was trained on material from Kennedy's website and relayed information related to Kennedy’s amplification of conspiracy theories, including the link between vaccines and autism.
- OpenAI had previously announced a ban on the use of its technology to create chatbots that mimic political candidates or provide false information related to voting, but Microsoft confirmed that its customers were not bound by OpenAI’s terms of service.
- After inquiries from WIRED, the chatbot disappeared from the Kennedy campaign site, with no immediate response from Microsoft, OpenAI, LiveChatAI, or the Kennedy campaign regarding its removal.