NY Mayor defends chatbot that advised business owners to break the law

New York Mayor Eric Adams is defending the city's new chatbot, created based on artificial intelligence, which has sparked criticism.

Recently, the tool in question would have given wrong information and advice to businesspeople which, if followed, would make them break the law.

When launched in October in a pilot version, the MyCity chatbot, was billed as the first use of this type of AI technology for an entire city, something that would give business owners “actionable and reliable information” in response to queries typed into a online portal.

However, it wasn't quite like that: journalists from the investigative media outlet The Markup reported for the first time, last week, that the chatbot was giving wrong information.

The system wrongly advised that bosses could take a portion of their employees' tips, and that there were no laws requiring managers to notify employees about shift changes, for example.

“It's wrong in some areas and we have to fix it,” Adams, who is from the Democratic Party, told reporters, emphasizing that it is a pilot program.

“Every time you use technology, you need to put it in a real environment and then solve problems,” he added.

Adams has avidly advocated the use of untested technologies in the city.

The mayor placed a 500-pound robot in the subway station beneath Times Square last year, believing it would help police fight crime. The object was retired within five months, with passengers pointing out that it didn't do much and couldn't use the stairs.

This Thursday (4), the chatbot was still online and spreading misinformation.

The system said that store owners have the right not to accept physical cash, but a 2020 municipal law prohibits this practice.

The robot also thinks the city's minimum wage is $15 per hour, when it is actually $16, having been raised this year.