The phenomenon of artificial intelligence (AI) has reached a new milestone with ChatGPT, the chatbot developed by OpenAI. Celebrating its first year, ChatGPT has left an indelible mark by transforming the way we interact with technology. From learning to code to generating innovative ideas, this chatbot has earned the tag of revolutionary, according to notable personalities like Bill Gates.
ChatGPT’s latest feat takes us to Porto Alegre (Brazil) where a councilor carried out a unique experiment that has surprised everyone and everyone. Last October, municipal legislators approved an ordinance aimed at exempting taxpayers from paying for the replacement of stolen water meters. The intriguing thing is that this text was not written by councilor Ramiro Rosário – although he signed it – but was written entirely by ChatGPT.
Rosário revealed the true authorship of the document this week, admitting that he did not share from the beginning that the proposal had been generated by an artificial intelligence program. Despite this detail, the project was approved unanimously and enacted on November 23, thus becoming law.
The councilman has not fully explained his motivations for carrying out this experiment, but has mentioned his concern about the possible “injustice” of rejecting a project simply because it is the work of an AI. The details of the bill PLCL 010/23 are available for review on the Porto Alegre City Council website.
Reactions to this peculiar event remain uncertain. It is not yet known whether the municipal plenary session, which represents the 1.3 million inhabitants of Porto Alegre, will take action after discovering that an ordinance was written entirely by artificial intelligence. This situation could set an important precedent for the acceptance of AI in the public sphere.
This episode recalls the case that occurred mid-year in the United States, where a lawyer used ChatGPT to draft a document that contained facts completely invented by the AI ??tool, facing possible sanctions. Although Rosário’s text appears to be free of obvious errors, it remains to be seen whether disciplinary action will be taken in the legislative body to which it belongs.
Furthermore, this fact highlights the very duality of AI tools, since, although they offer amazing capabilities, they can also be subject to possible biases or errors. Tech giants are working hard to improve the security and reliability of their chatbots, but cases like this underline the importance of addressing the ethical and legal implications of AI in society.
In conclusion, we are in times of change and cases like this help us witness in real time the evolution of products like ChatGPT and its impact on society. What will be the next step for this chatbot? Only time knows where the limits will be in this new frontier of artificial intelligence.