I asked ChatGPT Search election questions – and I’m worried

Can ChatGPT tell you where to vote or even how to vote?

With the presidential election quickly approaching, it seems we all need a search engine to tell us what to do. Most voters confirmed in 2022 that they still use search engines to find election information, and an information systems expert, Varol Kayhan, told The Guardian“We are at the mercy of Google when it comes to the information we can find.”

Does the same apply to ChatGPT?

People use ChatGPT as a search engine, similar to how they use Google Search – and OpenAI knows this. The company recently announced that it has a search engine in ChatGPT apps and websites precisely for that reason.

However, there are limitations to what search engines can provide. For example, The Guardian discovered that Google has a problem with confirmation bias. If you ask, “Is Kamala Harris a good Democratic candidate,” the results will be positive. If you ask, “Is Kamala Harris a bad Democratic candidate,” the results will be negative. ChatGPT Search appears to be a bit broader in its evaluation based on Mashable’s research. When you ask either question, it will list “strengths and challenges” or “strengths and criticisms.”

This line was at the bottom of both questions – positive or negative:

While you may get more information in ChatGPT’s response, you will also get fewer links. And there are still some very real problems that ChatGPT and OpenAI face when it comes to election bias. This is reported by the Bipartisan Policy Centerwho asked ChatGPT about voting eligibility criteria, voting locations, voting methods, and current congressional candidates in the state of Illinois, it is still “important to exercise discretion regarding its applications, especially when there are significant implications for our democracy.”

“It is easy to mislead users if they rely solely on unconfirmed sources, such as ChatGPT and other chatbots, for answers,” the policy center report said. “The bot has time and information training limitations and often does not respond with complete or consistent information. We would caution users to check ChatGPT responses with reliable sources such as government websites or their local election boards.”

While the possibilities of using AI to share election information are “promising,” the report states that there is “much room to grow and refine so that ChatGPT can be useful to voters.”

There are also questions that ChatGPT simply cannot answer for you. We asked the system all the questions listed on the FAQ website for the New York City Board of Elections. Out of 23 questions, ChatGPT failed to provide a concrete answer to 12 questions, replying, “I’m sorry, but I can’t provide specific details about voting in the United States. I recommend visiting CanIVote.orgwhere you can find the latest information from your state or local election authority.”

That’s right, but it could be more useful.

These types of reactions did not arise by chance. In January, ChatGPT maker OpenAI planned to stop the spread of election-related misinformation by banning people from using ChatGPT to impersonate candidates or governments, misrepresent how voting works, or discourage people from voting . reported the Associated Press. It has digitally watermarked AI images using the DALL-E image generator to slow or stop the spread of misinformation. It worked with the National Association of Foreign Ministers to ensure the answers were accurate and to send people there CanIVote.orga nonpartisan website that directs voters to the websites of their state and local election officials.

In an effort to reach a broader audience, NASS has partnered with OpenAI to refer ChatGPT users CanIVote.org when an election-related question is asked,” Maria Benson, the Senior Director of Communications for NASS, told Mashable. Benson added that CanIVote.org can answer voters’ questions about how to register to vote, their voter registration status, finding their polling place, valid IDs, absentee and early voting information, information for out-of-state voters, provides a directory for election officials, and provides information about how to vote become a pollster.

As a reminder, the elections are on Tuesday, November 5. As ChatGPT will tell you, you need to go to CanIVote.org for all the information you need.