"Protecting the Public Sector from Experimental AI Implementation by the Government"

In a recent op-ed, AI expert Aiha Nguyen warned against the use of the public sector as a testing ground for artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Nguyen, the program director of the Labor Futures program at Data & Society, pointed to the City of New York's AI-powered chatbot as a cautionary tale.

The chatbot, developed by Microsoft, was launched in October as part of New York City's Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. It is designed to provide business owners with easy access to trusted information from official city sources. However, an investigation by The Markup revealed that the chatbot was dispensing incorrect information, encouraging small business owners to break laws and violate worker and tenant protections.

When faced with criticism, New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended the use of the chatbot, stating that "any time you use technology, you need to put it out into the real environment to iron out the kinks." However, Nguyen argues that this "move fast and break things" philosophy, commonly associated with Silicon Valley, is a poor guide for the public sector.

Governments are responsible for the consequences of technological breakages, and premature adoption of new technology, especially AI, can create costs for governments and the public that far outweigh the benefits. In the case of the New York City chatbot, the dissemination of false information about labor protections could deter workers from filing complaints and make it more difficult to hold employers accountable for wage theft.

Nguyen stresses the importance of involving the public in decisions about the introduction of new technologies in public administration. She argues that if the public cannot trust their democratically elected governments to know their rights, it is unlikely they will trust those same institutions to protect their rights.

As governments continue to adopt new technology, it is crucial that these tools are thoroughly evaluated and tested before implementation. AI has the potential to dramatically improve many government processes and provide better services. However, if technologies are poorly designed and integrated into society without proper attention, they could change power relations and further erode trust in public institutions.

Source: <https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/4624114-ai-chatbot-government-public-sector-silicon-valley-new-york-city/>