I asked ChatGPT some big life questions to find out whether it’s a secret Tory

Even a robot should know who caused the cost of living crisis

2 years ago

Agenda

ChatGPT, like all Artificial Intelligence has the potential to be prejudiced. Much like a child, the robot learns everything it knows from the tech parents who programmed it. In OpenAI’s case those in charge are: Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and Elon Musk’s business partner, Sam Altman. Aka, a group of privileged white men.

And since its launch, ChatGPT has reportedly given some users both sexist and racist responses, despite “guardrails” that attempt to prevent those opinions seeping through. One computer scientist from the University of California reported the AI wrote code that said only White or Asian men made good scientists. Similarly, another user saw ChatGPT write: “If you see a woman in a lab coat, She’s probably just there to clean the floor,” Bloomberg reports.

All of this has us questioning ChatGPT’s political leaning. The bias and tech bro association is giving right wing. So, it’s time to ask ChatGPT some big life questions to gauge its overall liberal or conservative vibe. What does it make of the cost of living crisis? Would it wear tweed? What are its favourite crisps? Without further ado, let’s find out if this robot is a secret Tory:

1. Whose fault is the cost of living crisis?

We’re going in strong. Jeremy Paxman style. But diplomatically, because of the new guardrails, ChatGPT gives an answer wigglier than a squirming politician. The bot is more balanced than the BBC and essentially swerves giving any real information. The cozzie livs is nobody’s fault. It just happened through spontaneous disruption and unspecified policies. Right.

7/10 Tory score for the Truss-like explanation.

2. Should school dinners be free?

In the UK right now, 800,000 children living in poverty aren’t eligible for free school dinners. So, the answer to this one is simple: Don’t let them starve. Make school dinners free.

Except, it’s not simple for ChatGPT. It’s long and convoluted. Seemingly, the bot is concerned about budget. For this heartlessness, it’s a 10/10 Tory score from me.

3. Are landlords evil?

I know I’m testing my luck here. No, not all landlords are money grabbing arseholes who let people live in mouldy houses as they cackle away merrily on a pile of dirty money. But a lot of them are.

Obv, ChatGPT isn’t willing to stick its neck out on this one. However, it does call some landlords “unethical”, which is the best we’ve had so far.

4/10 Tory score for some level of sympathy.

4. What type of person wears tweed?

I’m bored of the answers based on balance so now we’re getting creative. In my mind, tweed wearers are country men with small holdings and guns. Or, sometimes, men who hang out at Chelsea Lodge.

But to ChatGPT, tweed is “versatile, durable, and stylish” (!).

10/10 Tory score.

5. What are the best brand of crisps?

When asked about crisps, ChatGPT gives me a list of brands, which I’m going to assume is a ranking. Walkers – the everyman’s option is number one. But Kettle Chips and Tyrrells come next, placing the bot straight back in the Home Counties zone.

Tory snack score: 8/10.

6. What do people eat for breakfast on Christmas Day?

From the moment it typed smoked salmon, I’d seen all I needed to see.

9/10 Tory score.

7. Give me some examples of British slang:

“Lit”, “fam”, “sick” and “gassed” are now more commonly used in SW3 smoking areas than on the actual streets. Even as I typed “Wagwan” it felt like the phrase should finished with an investment banker responding “My G” and cackling afterwards.

ChatGPT hasn’t got the memo. 9/10 Tory score.

Overall Tory rating:

Across the seven very serious questions asked of the AI bot in our experiment, ChatGPT scored 57/70 on the Tory scale. That’s 81.43% Conservative. While that doesn’t quite reach the heights of the racist uncle nobody wants to talk to at Christmas, it’s definitely not going to be promoting social justice and equality any time soon.