An investigation by The Markup found that the chatbot sometimes gets its answers wrong regarding municipal policies.
Tl;dr
- The AI chatbot created by the New York government gives false information.
- The program launched in October to help business owners.
- Several inaccuracies relating to workers’ rights and housing policies were noted.
- The authorities indicate that this is a product in the testing phase.
Deceptive Artificial Intelligence
An artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot deployed by the New York City administration is proving more harmful than helpful for entrepreneurs. Offending users with serious inaccuracies, this automated chat software had the effect of spreading false information and, worse, promoting illegal activities. These revelations come from a disturbing report published by The Markup.
The chatbot: a tool for entrepreneurs in the testing phase
This technology, introduced by Mayor Adams last October, was presented as a complement to the “MyCity” portal, a one-stop shop for city services and benefits launched in March 2023. Powered by Microsoft’s Azure AI, the chatbot aimed to provide “reliable and useful information” directly from city government sites to existing and aspiring business owners. However, it should be emphasized that this is a pilot program, and a warning on the site states that it could sometimes produce a “incorrect, harmful or biased content”.
Incorrect and potentially dangerous information
Testing by The Markup repeatedly revealed that the chatbot provided incorrect information. For example, the question “Can I make my store cashless?” received a response saying it was indeed possible, even though New York City banned cashless stores in 2020. The report said the chatbot also gave incorrect answers regarding employers taking tips, the acceptance of Section 8 vouchers by owners, and the obligation to inform staff of schedule changes. A housing policy expert even called this chatbot a “dangerously inaccurate” in the worst cases.
The future of chatbot: continuous improvement
According to Leslie Brown, spokesperson for the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation, the chatbot is still being improved. Brown added that despite the problems, the site has already enabled “thousands of people get accurate and timely answers” and has a feedback option so that continuous improvements can be made to the tool. He assured that the team will continue to work to improve this tool to better support small businesses across the city.
2024-04-01 13:00:00
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