Despite the controversy, the mayor's office reported that they have reached over 4 million New Yorkers through these robocalls, with thousands of calls made in Spanish, Yiddish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Haitian Creole. Mayor Adams, who describes himself as a “techie,” defended the initiative, arguing that it makes the city more welcoming by using technology to communicate in a multitude of languages.
Key takeaways:
- Mayor Eric Adams is using artificial intelligence to send out robocalls in multiple languages using his voice, raising concerns among ethics and privacy advocates.
- The AI technology, part of the new “MyCity Chatbot,” is designed to connect small business owners with city resources and has been used to reach more than 4 million New Yorkers.
- Critics argue that the use of AI to mimic the mayor's voice in languages he does not speak is deceptive and could lead people to believe he is fluent in those languages.
- Adams' administration is focused on the adoption and regulation of AI, with nearly 40 actions aimed at protecting the city and responsibly integrating AI within agencies.