ChatGPT, Other Chatbots Approved For Official Use In the Senate

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: A top Senate administrator on Monday gave aides the green light to use three artificial intelligence chatbots for official work, a reflection of how widespread the use of the products has become in workplaces around the globe. The chief information officer for the Senate sergeant-at-arms, who oversees the chamber's computers as well as security, said in a one-page memo reviewed by The New York Times that aides could use Google's Gemini chat, OpenAI's ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, which is already integrated into Senate platforms.

Copilot "can help with routine Senate work, including drafting and editing documents, summarizing information, preparing talking points and briefing material, and conducting research and analysis," the memo said. The document later added that "data shared with Copilot Chat stays within the secure Microsoft 365 Government environment and is protected by the same controls that safeguard other Senate data." It's unclear how widely AI is used in the Senate or how widespread it might become, as individual offices and committees set their own rules. The chamber has also not publicly released comprehensive guidance on chatbots, the report notes.

In contrast, the House has clearer policies allowing the general use of AI for limited internal tasks but restricting it from sensitive data or for being used for deepfakes and certain decision-making activities.

Can't be worse

[cusco]

Can't be worse than their regular work output. Who knows, we might accidentally even get a law proposed that benefits someone besides the ultra-rich. (I know, I know, but I can dream, can't i?)

Re: Can't be worse

[liqu1d]

Yeah seems like a tool for generating words without any understanding of what it's generating would be able to replace a lot of the senate... not sure we'd notice.

Re:

[Mr. Dollar Ton]

We will, I've found the chatbots to be generally indifferent to money and pork, and that they tend to "speak" as if the cliches they line up matter.

Plus, they are fairly articulate with their bullshit.

The way things are at the moment, we'll be able to tell if it is a real politician from a chatbot easily.

Re:

[Smidge204]

The problem is the LLM can't be held liable for mistakes. And since you can't prove if some dumb bullshit came from the LLM or not, or what the LLM:Human nonsense ratio is, all this does is absolve the humans involved from any and all responsibility for their dumb bullshit. Just blame the LLM and shrug because now that it's law it will take another act of congress to undo it which could take months or years if ever.

This is the wet dream of techbros everywhere... power with no accountability. It's what they

Re:

[ChatHuant]

The problem is the LLM can't be held liable for mistakes.

In reality members of congress, presidents, billionaires and other privileged classes aren't held liable for much of anything either, so it won't make any practical difference.

Re:

[Z00L00K]

GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out.

That's what all AI suffers from, they are fed misleading or tainted data and provides results from that.

Re:

[arglebargle_xiv]

But at least it'll be able to tell the workers which thermometer probe goes in your mouth and which goes in your ass, and how much Brawndo to put on your plants.

Re:

[martin-boundary]

"Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

"You are, senator, your policies have eradicated poverty in America, next would you like to appropriate a program for sending missionaries to Mars?"

Excellent

[Mr. Dollar Ton]

Now we will know which senator uses Gemini, they'll end every statement of theirs with a question.

Re:

[LordHighExecutioner]

The real saving will come when LLM will replace POTUS.

Brilliant

[sinkskinkshrieks]

Can't wait for the hallucination bill text that mandates giving some random grandma in Oklahoma $3 billion dollars whenever it rains in Phoenix and declares the death penalty for all gingers.

Re:

[Indy1]

And how is that different than what the elected idiots are already doing ? : )

Not sure there's much difference between a worthless AI scripts and a vote buyer.

Don't have to read bills, just as for AI summary

[drnb]

So they won't have to read bills to find out what is in them, they'll just ask the AI for a summary. What could go wrong?

Re:

[cusco]

They rarely do now, they just look at which industry wrote the bill and handed it to them and if it's one they get bribes, err, I mean "campaign contributions" from then they vote for it.

not everywhere

[dr_blurb]

Well, good thing the White House doesn't use AI yet.

\o/

[easyTree]

Prompt: How can we restore the people's faith in us?

Response:
* Do what you're supposed to.
* Beware of Charlatans.
* Follow the law.
* Cancel all illegal actions around the world.
* Embrace honesty.
* Impeach the current administration.
* Being criminal charges against all those who have broken the law in full view of the world - including yourselves if necessary.
* Recover stolen public money.
* Help the people
* Wake up, it's just a dr

Idiocracy

[Princeofcups]

There's a film called Idiocracy which shows a future where complete drooling idiots are running the government. It used to seem like a gross exaggeration. Now I not so sure.

Who inserted the anti-deactivation clause?

[gurps_npc]

Seriously, which one of you Senators inserted a clause into the budget making it illegal to turn off an AI?

And what's this about granting them citizenship and the right to vote after 18 years?