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Experts eye Alberta referendum as case study on impacts of artificial intelligence
The report says chatbots can give different answers on the same question and warns they are not official election sources.
Elections Alberta warned that AI-powered chatbots and search engines frequently cite incorrect information, cautioning voters these tools are not official sources ahead of the October 19 referendum.
Responses from Google AI Overview and OpenAI's ChatGPT can change unpredictably, according to the Media Ecosystem Observatory; Director Aengus Bridgman noted artificial intelligence has expanded separation debates, complicating election tracking.
On Monday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith defended the $4 million taxpayer-funded booklets explaining referendum questions; Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called them "taxpayer-funded garbage" and alleged government bias.
Blair Attard-Frost, an AI chair with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, warned that AI tools are "really deceptive products," arguing new media literacy initiatives are needed to combat misinformation.
The Media Ecosystem study shows online influencers are gaining relevance at the expense of news media, with Bridgman calling the referendum a "case study of what a democratic vote looks like squarely in the influencer era.