4 in 10 Americans Do Not Trust Election Information Given by ChatGPT

As ChatGPT and similar AI assistants become increasingly integrated into people’s daily routines, they have yet to overcome the significant trust hurdles, especially regarding their role in providing information about civil affairs like elections. According to Stocklytics.com, 4 in 10 Americans are skeptical of the credibility of ChatGPT’s election information.

The site’s financial analyst, Edith Reads, comments:

Some American users feel that the technology is not yet sufficiently vetted or regulated to handle the complexity and sensitivity of election data. This is particularly pertinent given the historical challenges with misinformation and disinformation in political campaigns, which can be exacerbated by the speed and scale at which AI can disseminate information.

Stocklytics financial analyst, Edith Reads

ChatGPT Trust Hold Among Americans

The growing share of Americans using chatbots on the job augmented from 8% in March 2023 to roughly 20% in February 2024, underscoring the increasing reliance on AI chatbots for work. However, regarding civil matters like elections, several Americans need clarification on the credibility of the source information.

According to a survey, about 18% of the respondents claimed to trust ChatGPT barely, and another 20% did not trust it. Only a marginal 2% trust the chatbot completely, leaving 10% to hold some trust.

Lack of awareness of ChatGPT capabilities drives the low trust poll in election matters. Almost 35% have not heard of ChatGPT, and 15% are uncertain of its role and abilities. Political affiliations have not affected ChatGPT’s standings, as Republicans and Democrats distrust it alike.

Then again, only a sample of Americans have used the chatbot for information on the presidential election 2024. 2% of adults say they have done so, including 2% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 1% of Republicans and GOP leaners. 

Seth Bluestein, a Republican City Commissioner in Philadelphia, commented on using chatbots during this election period. He hinted that chatbots are not yet ready to provide meaningful, nuanced information on elections.

Why is ChatGPT Distrusted in Providing Information on Civil Elections?

Public unease and uncertainty often intensify as elections approach. Past experiences have shown that some individuals have taken advantage of this environment by using available information channels to propagate falsehoods, attempting to sway undecided voters, particularly on influential social media platforms like Facebook, where information has been subject to manipulation. With ChatGPT still new to the public, concerns have arisen that it could become a new avenue for disseminating misinformation during election periods.

Besides, chatbots rely on dated sources of information to give responses. According to Stocklytics, over 50% of all chatbot responses on election-related questions were inaccurate, 40% being considered harmful as they could potentially limit voting rights. Some responses gave off non-existing polling places during the primaries based on dated information.

OpenAI’s management has pledged to ban people from using its technology to create chatbots that impersonate real candidates or governments and to work on its research.