Establishment of Super PAC supporting Dean Phillips’ Presidential Bid Linked to Biden’s AI Regulation Order
A recently formed super PAC, closely associated with OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, has introduced an AI chatbot aimed at obstructing President Joe Biden’s reelection efforts, as per a report by The Washington Post.
The super PAC, named We Deserve Better, unveiled the Dean.Bot, an AI surrogate for Dean Phillips, a Minnesota congressman challenging Biden in the Democratic primary.
Altman and other prominent figures in Silicon Valley have taken an interest in Phillips due to concerns over Biden’s declining poll numbers and his potential matchup against former President Donald Trump, the anticipated Republican primary victor.
Interestingly, the super PAC’s inception to endorse Phillips coincided with Biden’s enactment of a comprehensive executive order regulating AI technology in early December.
While Altman and other AI advocates have advocated for AI regulations and safeguards, their perspectives often shift when these proposals materialize. Altman, for instance, previously issued ultimatums regarding OpenAI’s operations in Europe in response to potential AI regulations and has actively worked to dilute such regulations.
The decision by a group closely affiliated with Altman to deploy an AI-driven chatbot to challenge Biden, who advocates for AI technology oversight, raises eyebrows. Matt Krisiloff, a co-founder of the super PAC, formerly worked at OpenAI and reportedly had a personal relationship with Altman.
Notably, the chatbot initially utilized OpenAI’s ChatGPT but has since transitioned to open-source models, according to WaPo.
The Dean.Bot is explicitly identified as an AI chatbot and includes disclaimers like “Feel free to ask it anything, but please take answers with a grain of salt!”
When questioned about recent campaign controversies, the Dean.Bot adeptly deflects inquiries akin to a seasoned politician.
For instance, following alterations to the Phillips campaign website’s header from “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” to “Equity and Restorative Justice,” the Dean.Bot disavows responsibility for website content decisions, emphasizing an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion principles.
Despite its emergence, the Biden campaign likely need not fret over the chatbot, given its rudimentary nature compared to human interactions, serving more as an election season novelty.
Nevertheless, beyond its role as a tool for affluent interests influencing elections, the chatbot hints at the potential transformation of politics through AI and technology advancement.
In a similar vein, the campaign of Pennsylvania Democrat Shamaine Daniels employed a chatbot named Ashley for phone banking purposes last year, underscoring a potential shift in political communication dynamics.
As AI-driven chatbots like Dean.Bot and Ashley gain prominence, concerns arise regarding the dissemination of misinformation by malicious actors to distort politicians’ stances, prompting skepticism towards digital communication integrity, as highlighted by New York University Stern Center for Business and Human Rights’ deputy director Paul Barrett in WaPo.
