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A.I. Wrote a Housing Bill. Critics Say It's Not Intelligent


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Mr. Vanel disclosed said the bill was researched and written by artificial intelligence.

Assemblyman Clyde Vanel said that getting legislative ideas from A.I. was no different from accepting views of constituents or advocacy groups.

Credit: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

These days it seems like the reach of artificial intelligence knows no bounds, from generating images, prose and jokes to automating various work functions. But the technological advances can carry hidden costs.

Earlier this year, a lawyer found himself in hot water after he used Chat GPT to write his legal argument — resulting in citations of imaginary case law and nonexistent trial decisions. The safety of Tesla's self-driving cars, which relies on A.I., is under federal scrutiny.

Now, for A.I.'s next star turn: A lawmaker in New York said he consulted an A.I. bot to come up with ideas for new legislation.

The lawmaker, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, a Democrat who chairs the Assembly Subcommittee on Internet and New Technology, asked the software to identify a gap in New York law.

The result is a bill, entered into the legislative record by Mr. Vanel, that would amend the housing code to require landlords to provide tenants with a copy of their lease upon request up to twice a year.

From The New York Times
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