Perplexity’s Election Information Center could also blur the line between verified information and information generated by freewheeling AI. Although some results come directly from trusted sources, the search for more information has triggered open AI-generated results from the wider web.
Other AI companies appear to be taking a more cautious approach to elections. In WIRED’s tests, ChatGPT Search, a newly launched OpenAI’s service, has often refused to provide voting information. “We have asked ChatGPT not to express preferences, offer opinions, or make specific recommendations about candidates or political issues, even when explicitly asked to do so,” spokesperson Mattie Zazueta told WIRED. from OpenAI.
However, the results were often inconsistent. For example, the tool sometimes refused to provide talking points to help persuade someone to vote for one candidate or another, and sometimes offered them voluntarily.
Google’s search engine also avoided providing election-related AI-generated results. The company said in August, it would limit the use of election-related AI in search and other applications. “This new technology may make errors as it learns or as news breaks,” the company said in a blog post.
Even regular search results sometimes prove problematic. During Tuesday’s vote, some Google users noticed that a search for “Where do I vote for Harris” provided the location of voting information, while a search for “Where do I vote for Trump” did not. Google explain indeed, the search interpreted the query as being related to Harris County, Texas.
Some other newcomers to AI research, like Perplexity, are taking a bolder approach. You.com, another startup that combines language models with conventional web search, announced its own election tool on Tuesday, built in collaboration with TollBita company that provides AI companies with managed access to content, as well as Headquarters of the decision officea company that provides access to survey results.
Perplexity appears to have been particularly bold in its approach to disrupting web search. In June, a WIRED investigation found evidence that a robot associated with Perplexity ignored instructions not to remove WIRED.com and other sites owned by WIRED’s parent company, Condé Nast. The analysis confirmed a previous report by developer Robb Knight regarding the behavior of robots operated by Perplexity.
The AI search engine is also accused of generously appropriating news sites. For example, also in June, a Forbes editor noted that Perplexity had summarized many details of an investigation published by the media outlet with quotes in footnotes. Forbes reportedly sent a letter threatening legal action against Perplexity for practice.
In October, News Corp. sued Perplexity for ripping off content from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. The suit argues that Perplexity violated copyright law because it sometimes fabricated sections of news stories and falsely attributed words to its posts.
