Lawmaker cites ChatGPT to slam opposition bill on leftover rice

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Could ChatGPT measure up to be an impartial referee on political debates? Apparently, a South Korean lawmaker thought so.

Rep. An Byung-gil of the country’s ruling People Power Party cited the artificial intelligence chatbot to criticize a legislative proposal pushed by his liberal opponents on how to manage South Korea’s leftover rice, stressing that the bot “clearly predicts” negative side effects.

In a press release Tuesday, the politician said he had asked ChatGPT to analyze the effect of the bill, which, backed by the majority-wielding Democratic Party of Korea, has been sent to the National Assembly’s plenary session despite opposition from his party. If passed, it would require the government to purchase rice from the market if rice prices drop to a certain extent.

According to Rep. An, the bot said in 2,000 characters that the proposed measure would result in increase of government debt, overproduction, market inefficiency, corruption of the public sector and decline of agricultural competitiveness.

“The government should buy the rice at minimum prices, but this could lead to significant spending should there be an overproduction of rice,” An’s office quoted the bot as saying, adding that President Yoon Suk Yeol advised government officials to study the bot and use it for work.

It could also lead to market inefficiency and could result in corruption as government officials can interfere in allocation of government contracts for rice purchase and storage, the bot was quoted as saying.

“Like the study from the (state-funded) Korea Rural Economic Institute, big data has also clearly predicted major side effects of the revised bill by the Democratic Party of Korea,” Rep. An said in the press release, adding that the opposition party reached “the heights of moral hazard” by attempting to railroad the bill.

By Kim So-hyun(sophie@heraldcorp.com)