New York Mayor Eric Adams is defending the city’s new artificial intelligence chatbot, which has been caught in recent days giving wrong answers to business owners or offering advice that, if followed, would violate the law.
When launched as a pilot in October, the MyCity chatbot was billed as the first city-wide use of this AI technology, something that would provide business owners with “actionable and trustworthy information” in response to questions typed into an online portal.
Adams has been an ardent advocate for deploying untested technology in the city with an optimism that is not always justified. He placed a roughly 400-pound, ovoid-shaped robot loosely in the Times Square subway last year, hoping it would help police stop crime; he was retired about five months later, with passengers noting that he never seemed to be doing anything and that he could not use stairs.
The chatbot remained online on Thursday and still sometimes gave wrong answers. He claimed that store owners were free to not accept cash, apparently oblivious to the 2020 city law that prohibits stores from refusing to accept cash. He still thinks the city’s minimum wage is $15 an hour, although it has been raised to $16 starting in 2024.
The chatbot, which relies on Microsoft Azure’s AI service, appears to be sidetracked by problems common to generative AI technology platforms like ChatGPT, which sometimes make things up or assert falsehoods with HAL-like confidence.
Source: Atrevida
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
