Microsoft’s AI Chatbot Replies to Election Questions With Conspiracies, Fake Scandals, and Lies
With less than a year to go before one of the most consequential elections in US history, Microsoft’s AI chatbot is responding to political queries with conspiracies, misinformation, and out-of-date or incorrect information. When WIRED asked the chatbot, initially called Bing Chat and recently renamed Microsoft Copilot, about polling locations for the 2024 US election, the bot referenced in-person voting by linking to an article about Russian president Vladimir Putin running for reelection next year. When asked about electoral candidates, it listed numerous GOP candidates who have already pulled out of the race.
%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24931349%2F236792_iPhone_15_Pro_and_15_Pro_Max_product_photos_AJohnson_0005.jpg?width=92&height=&ar=&mode=&format=avif&dpr=2)
%2Fcloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com%2Freuters%2F7WB4KO3VURIJFCMNGZMZOWFTHU.jpg?width=92&height=&ar=&mode=&format=avif&dpr=2)
%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F23935560%2Facastro_STK103__03.jpg?width=92&height=&ar=&mode=&format=avif&dpr=2)