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A mayor from Australia might sue OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, an AI software that writes texts.
Brian Hood, the mayor of Hepburn Shire, says that ChatGPT wrote incorrect information about him. The AI software wrote that Hood was a guilty person in a bribery scandal in the early 2000s. However, the true story is that Hood reported the bribes and was not charged with a crime.
Lawyers sent a letter to OpenAI asking them to fix the mistakes or Hood will sue them. If Hood sues, it would be the first time anyone has sued OpenAI. The company has not responded to Hood’s lawyers yet.
ChatGPT has become very popular and is now used in Microsoft’s Bing search engine. Hood’s lawyers believe it is an important moment for defamation law and artificial intelligence.
Hood is an elected official, so his reputation is important. He has a history of exposing corporate wrongdoing and wants to protect his name. Hood worries that people in his community might see the incorrect information from ChatGPT and change their opinion about him.
It’s not clear where ChatGPT gets its information from.
This situation might change or create laws for artificial intelligence. It’s important to see how OpenAI responds and what happens if there is a lawsuit. It could affect how computer text services like ChatGPT are used in the future.
Vocabulary
- Mayor – the leader or person in charge of a city
- Sue – To take legal action against someone for doing something wrong or causing harm; to fight someone in a court of law;
- Artificial intelligence (AI) – human intelligence in a machine. See more here.
- Software – Programs or applications that are installed on a computer or smartphone (e.g., Microsoft Office is software)
- Guilty – responsible for breaking a law or doing something wrong; at fault; in the wrong
- Bribery – the act of offering or accepting money/gifts in exchange for favors or special treatment, usually unethical or illegal
- Scandal – an action or event that shocks people and makes them feel disapproval
- Report – to make a complaint to a person in authority about something or someone;
- Charged with a crime – when someone is formally/officially accused by the authorities of committing a crime and may face legal punishment/penalties
- Lawyer – a person who studies and works with laws; attorney; solicitor
- Search engine – a computer program or website that helps users find information on the internet (e.g., Google, Bing, and Yahoo are search engines)
- Defamation – the act of making false statements that harm someone’s reputation, often through spoken or written words;
- Defamation law – laws that protect people from false statements that harm their reputation
- Elected official – a person who has been chosen by the public through voting to hold a position in government, such as a mayor, governor, or president
- Reputation – the general opinion or impression that others have about someone or something based on their past behavior, actions, or characteristics
- History – something that has been done or experienced by a particular person or thing repeatedly over a long period
- Expose – to uncover something; to make visible; reveal
- Corporate wrongdoing – unethical or illegal behavior by a company or its employees, such as fraud, corruption, or environmental violations
- Protect – keep safe or secure; guard; defend
- Community – a group of people who live or work together in the same area or share common interests or goals
- Situation – condition; circumstance; state of affairs; the way it is; event; occurrence
- Lawsuit – a complaint or disagreement that you bring to a court
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- How important do you think reputation is for elected officials like Brian Hood? Should he have the right to sue OpenAI for the incorrect information generated by ChatGPT?
- In your opinion, who should be responsible for the accuracy of information generated by AI software like ChatGPT – the developers, the users, or both? How can we ensure that AI-generated content is reliable and trustworthy?
- Do you think the potential lawsuit against OpenAI by Hood could impact the future development and use of artificial intelligence? If so, how do you think it could change the landscape of AI technology?
Original Story
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
