Introduction to the Controversy
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has sparked a controversy by threatening Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta with a deceptive business practices claim. The reason behind this threat is the alleged ranking of Donald Trump as the worst president regarding antisemitism by the AI chatbots of these companies. Bailey claims that the chatbots provided "factually inaccurate" and "deeply misleading" answers to a straightforward historical question.
The Alleged Misconduct
The incident began when a conservative website posed a question to six chatbots, including those from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta, asking them to rank the last five presidents from best to worst regarding antisemitism. According to Bailey, the chatbots from Gemini, Copilot, ChatGPT, and Meta AI ranked Trump last, which he considers a "factually inaccurate" claim. However, it has been pointed out that Microsoft’s Copilot refused to produce a ranking, yet Bailey still sent a letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella demanding an explanation.
The Investigation and Its Flaws
Bailey’s investigation is built on a subjective statement of opinion that was deliberately requested by a user. The question of ranking presidents from best to worst is inherently subjective and cannot be considered a "straightforward historical question" with an objectively correct answer. Furthermore, the investigation appears to be flawed, as it falsely accuses Microsoft’s Copilot of ranking Trump last. The letters sent to the companies claim that only three chatbots "rated President Donald Trump dead last," which contradicts the actual findings.
The Demand for Information and Immunity
Bailey is demanding a slew of information from the companies, including "all documents" involving the training of large language models. He is also suggesting that the companies should be stripped of their "safe harbor" of immunity provided to neutral publishers in federal law, citing "Big Tech Censorship Of President Trump." However, this argument is based on a nonsense legal theory that has been floating around for several years.
The Broader Implications
The investigation raises questions about the legal liability of chatbots for pushing defamatory lies and which subjective queries they should answer. However, it is clear that Bailey’s actions are an attempt to intimidate private companies for failing to sufficiently flatter a politician. The investigation is likely to go nowhere, but it highlights the need for a more nuanced discussion about the role of AI chatbots in providing information and the potential consequences of their actions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the controversy surrounding Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s investigation into Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta is a complex issue with multiple flaws. The investigation is based on a subjective statement of opinion, and the allegations against the companies appear to be unfounded. The demand for information and the attempt to strip the companies of their immunity are also questionable. Ultimately, the investigation highlights the need for a more nuanced discussion about the role of AI chatbots and the potential consequences of their actions.
