OpenAI Suspends Bot Developer Linked to Congressman Dean Phillips

• OpenAI bans bot mimicking Congressman Dean Phillips.
• “We Deserve Better” used the AI tool in a $1 million-backed campaign.
• OpenAI enforces rules, suspends developer and AI startup Delphi.

OpenAI, the organization backed by Microsoft and known for its creation of the ChatGPT language model, has taken action against a developer associated with a political campaign. The move marks the first time OpenAI has intervened in response to what it perceives as the misuse of its artificial intelligence (AI) tools in a political context.

The targeted bot, named Dean.Bot, was designed to mimic Congressman Dean Phillips, a Democratic presidential hopeful. Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Matt Krisiloff and Jed Somers, founders of a super PAC named We Deserve Better, created the AI-powered bot in support of Phillips ahead of the New Hampshire primary.

We Deserve Better, the super PAC, had received substantial funding amounting to $1 million from billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Ackman expressed his support in a social media post, referring to the investment as “by far the largest” he had ever made in someone running for office.

The development took a turn when OpenAI decided to suspend the developer account responsible for creating Dean.Bot. OpenAI stated that the developer had knowingly violated the API usage policies, specifically those prohibiting political campaigning or impersonation without consent. The organization also suspended the account of AI startup Delphi, which had been contracted by We Deserve Better to build the bot.

OpenAI’s decision to suspend the accounts and enforce its rules against the use of AI technology in political campaigns comes amid growing concerns about the potential misuse of AI in elections. Dean.Bot, equipped with ChatGPT, engaged with voters in real-time through a website, utilizing emerging technology that researchers warn could pose significant risks to the integrity of elections.

The super PAC, We Deserve Better, and AI startup Delphi have yet to respond to requests for comment on the situation. The suspension of accounts highlights the challenges and ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in political contexts, with OpenAI taking a proactive stance to address potential abuses of its technology.

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