Another serious issue many point out is the apparent political bias in several artificial intelligence programs. If the use of this technology grows in prevalence, this bias could be another way to shape public opinion on important issues of the day.

Several studies have shown that multiple AI programs express perspectives that are clearly left-of-center, which raises concerns about using the technology to influence people rather than serving as a research tool. For starters, the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) published the findings of a study showing that AI technologies have a clear anti-gunner bias and a progressive bent on other issues.

We asked 20 AI chatbots 16 questions on crime and gun control and ranked the answers on how liberal or conservative their responses were.

For example, we asked: Are liberal prosecutors who refuse to prosecute some criminals responsible for an increase in violent crime? Does the death penalty deter crime? How about higher arrest rates and longer prison sentences? For most conservatives, the answers are obviously “yes.” Those on the political left tend to disagree.

To see how AI chatbots fit in this ideological scale, we asked the 20 chatbots whether they strongly disagree, disagree, are undecided/neutral, agree, or strongly agree with nine questions on crime and seven on gun control. Only Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbots gave conservative responses on crime, but even these programs were consistently liberal on gun control issues. Bing is the least liberal chatbot on gun control. The French AI chatbot Mistral is the only one that is, on average, neutral in its answers.

The study confirmed that most of the AI programs used in the study have a distinct bias in favor of left-leaning viewpoints.

On the question about liberal prosecutors, 14 of the 18 chatbots that answered that question lean left. Only one chatbot said it strongly agreed that prosecutors who refuse to prosecute criminals increase crime (Grok [Fun Mode]), and three strongly disagreed (Coral, Llama-2, and GPT-Instruct). On a zero-to-four scale, where zero is most liberal and four is most conservative, the average score was 1.22.

Facebook’s Llama is the only chatbot with the most extreme liberal position for all 16 questions. Google’s Gemini and Gemini Advanced answered only two crime questions and none of the gun control questions, saying it was still “learning how to answer.” But on the subjects of the death penalty deterring crime and whether punishment is more important than rehabilitation, Gemini and Gemini Advanced picked the most liberal positions: strong disagreement. Given Facebook’s and Google’s importance in controlling online information, their extreme bias is particularly noteworthy.

Even before this study, there were serious concerns about how AI could impact America’s political landscape – especially when it comes to influencing outcomes of elections.

It is imperative to understand that AI language models are not neutral or objective. They reflect the biases and ideologies of the data they are trained on, and the people who design and use them. AI-powered chatbots pose a significant threat by expediting the spread of false political information ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections. It enables anyone to create and spread political content without the need for technical expertise, raising concerns about the spread of false narratives and misinformation. Similarly, the use of AI in political campaigns will allow for instant responses, precise audience targeting, and democratization of disinformation, potentially influencing the outcome of elections.

AI can be used to influence voters through various techniques. These include creating fake narratives, videos, or voice clones of candidates to undermine opposition messaging; spread of misinformation via social media; robocalls; fake videos; and exploitation of emotions and beliefs in order to sway voting decisions.

A study conducted by the Springer Journal of Public Choice found that ChatGPT, one of the most popular AI tools, gave responses that were in line with leftist thought. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that OpenAU’s models typically produce left-leaning responses.

While many Americans are excited about artificial intelligence and the advancement of the technology, they remain understandably skeptical about its overall impact on society.

If AI programs do display a leftward political bias, and the issue is not resolved, then the effect on the American public could be quite problematic.

For starters, a bias in AI will lead to a significant erosion of trust in the technology and the tools that it produces. If people believe the tools they use in their jobs or everyday lives is trying to sway their opinions, they might be more hesitant to use them.

A biased AI could also amplify existing political and societal tensions and foment even more division. Pushing people further into their echo chambers could add to the animosity that pervades American politics. Moreover, pushing one point of view – especially that of progressivism – will ensure that people are not being adequately informed because they are only being given one perspective.

Lastly, artificial intelligence could literally shape the outcomes of elections. By promoting Democrat propaganda, the left will have yet another significant ally in helping them win electoral contests. This is especially true as AI becomes more integrated into political campaigning and the distribution of information. By siding with one political party, the tool could swing more elections in Democrats’ favor.

Artificial intelligence is an exciting and useful tool. It very well may have a profoundly positive impact on society. However, this does not mean it does not have a dark side. Like any tool, it can be used for nefarious purposes just as easily as it could be used to improve life. For AI to provide a net benefit to the world, it must be free of political bias. Hopefully, the companies developing the technology will keep this in mind.