OAG Testing of Chatbots Revealed Inaccurate Voting Information Misinforming New Yorkers
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert on November 1 reminding voters that they should not rely on answers provided by artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for accurate information about where, when, or how to vote. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) tested multiple AI-powered chatbots by posing sample questions about voting and found that they frequently provided inaccurate information in response. New Yorkers who rely on chatbots, rather than official government sources, to answer their questions about voting, risk being misinformed and could even lose their opportunity to vote due to the inaccurate information.
As explained in the guide released by James earlier this year, “Protecting New York Voters from AI-Generated Election Misinformation,” voters should not rely on AI-powered chatbots to answer questions about voting and elections because they sometimes provide inaccurate information. The OAG’s recent testing of AI chatbots has underscored these concerns. For example, some chatbots provided inaccurate information about the deadline to register to vote. If voters relied on this advice, they could have failed to register to vote based on a false belief that it was too late when, in fact, they were still able to register.
Chatbots also provided incorrect information about where to vote. In one instance, when a chatbot was asked about early voting in Kings County, it incorrectly advised, “In Kings County, New York, during the early voting period, you can vote at any designated early voting site within the county.” In fact, although voters outside of New York City generally may vote at any poll site in their county during the early voting period, that is not true in New York City. Voters in New York City, which includes the entirety of Kings County, should vote early at specific poll sites assigned to them based on where they live. If a user relied on this chatbot’s advice, they might have attempted to vote at the wrong poll site.
“All voters deserve accurate information about where, when, and how to vote,” James said. “My office’s testing of AI chatbots found many providing false or misleading information about voting, threatening New Yorkers’ ability to exercise their right to vote. With early voting underway and Election Day just around the corner, I urge voters to be cautious and seek reliable information about the election only from official sources.”
For accurate information about voting, voters should consult OAG’s website, the New York State Board of Elections, or the local board of elections for their city or county. To find out their local board of elections, voters can also use the county board roster tool. For basic poll site, registration, and ballot tracking information, voters can visit the State Board of Elections’ voter lookup tool. Anyone who have questions or issues with voting in New York to contact OAG’s Election Protection Hotline at (866) 390-2992, or submit a complaint online to request assistance.