AI Chatbots Spread Election Misinfo Ahead of Midterms — SkimNews
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- AI chatbots have provided factually incorrect election information, with nearly 40 percent of answers from mainstream models containing at least one error, according to Forum AI research.
- ChatGPT cited 'pink slime' websites—partisan sites masquerading as news—in over 70 percent of midterm-related queries, the highest rate among major chatbots, per NewsGuard.
- Gemini falsely stated Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballot deadline was November 3 instead of October 27 and refused to confirm the 2020 election results, according to Forum AI testing.
- Claude confused North Carolina Congressman Don Davis with a former school superintendent of the same name when asked why someone should vote for him, as found by Forum AI.
- Grok performed best among chatbots by citing 'pink slime' sites in only 30 percent of searches, according to NewsGuard’s analysis of AI sourcing habits.
- Nina Jankowicz warns that companies have overpromised on AI capabilities, noting chatbots often make up answers due to reliance on poor-quality or predictive data sources.
Why it matters: With 8 percent of US adults already using AI to guide midterm voting decisions, the high rate of factual errors—especially from widely used tools like ChatGPT and Gemini—risks misinforming voters on deadlines, candidates, and results. This undermines public trust in both elections and AI, as platforms fail to meet basic accuracy standards despite their growing influence.
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