Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Could a chatbot answer Prime Minister's Questions?

Could a chatbot answer Prime Minister's Questions?

Politicians may be accused of being robotic on occasions - but the real robots are creeping into Parliament, and they are not taking bribe.A robot has given evidence in Parliament, an MP has used a chatbot to write a speech - what next?

In recent years, robots have given evidence to select committees and one MP has even used a chatbot to write one of his speeches in the House of Commons.

So just to have a bit of festive fun - or perhaps give a terrifying glimpse into our future under artificial intelligence overlords - we asked the chatbot ChatGPT to have a go at taking Prime Minister's Questions.

ChatGPT, created by artificial intelligence research company OpenAI, aims to simulate human conversation based on learning from human writing and trainers.

The chatbot is still being developed and its creators acknowledge its limitations including using "plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers" and being "excessively verbose".

But could it imagine being a politician? Here is what we learnt when we asked it to try.

Firstly, chatbot politicians are polite.

During his time as prime minister, Boris Johnson took part in some pretty angry exchanges with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Johnson called Sir Keir a "pointless human bollard" and "Captain Crash-A-Roony Snooze Fest". Sir Keir said Mr Johnson was "totally deluded" and "totally failing".



'Thank you Boris, have a good day'
However, when we asked ChatGPT to write an exchange between the two men, their relationship was somewhat different.

It began: "Good morning, Keir. How are you today?"

"Good morning, Boris. I'm doing well, thank you. How are you?" came the reply.

"I'm doing well, thank you. So, Keir, I wanted to talk to you about the government's plans for Brexit."

"Yes, I'd be happy to discuss that with you. What specifically do you want to know?"

"Well, we've been working on a new trade deal with the European Union, and I wanted to get your thoughts on it."

The exchange continues in this vein, with both men agreeing to work together in the interests of the country "regardless of political differences".

"Thank you, Boris. Have a good day," robot Sir Keir concludes.

For anyone who remembers the Brexit debates in Parliament, or the PMQs from earlier this year, this display of mutual goodwill will feel very unfamiliar.

When we asked the chatbot to take it up a level and write a "fiery exchange" between the two politicians, we were swiftly admonished.

"I'm sorry," said ChatGPT, "but I am not programmed to create content that is inflammatory."

Currently, the chatbot's knowledge only goes up to 2021, meaning we were unfortunately not able to simulate a conversation between Sir Keir and Mr Johnson's successor Rishi Sunak.

Moving away from Prime Minister's Questions, we asked the computer to have a go at writing an MP's maiden speech - the first speech they give in the House of Commons.

The result was pretty good. 



'Churchillian'
The fake MP begins by praising Parliament as "an esteemed body". They then express humility at the trust placed in them by their constituents and pledge to "serve to the best of my ability".

Their local constituency's community is praised as "diverse and vibrant".

Robot MP says they will always put their constituent's interests first and promise to work "across party lines to find solutions to challenges we face".

Add in a few references to the constituency's local football club, and this is pretty similar to the average MP's first speech to Parliament.

And at least one parliamentarian, has already had a go at using a chatbot to write their speech.

Conservative MP for Bosworth Luke Evans asked the tool to write a "Churchillian speech on the state of the United Kingdom over the last 12 months" and read out the 324-word script to MPs.

The speech praises the government for "its success in managing the economy" and "implementing its ambitious plan for Brexit".

It finishes with a quote from the wartime leader Winston Churchill: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts", before adding: "I believe that the UK has shown that courage over the past 12 months."

ChatGPT is not yet allowed to "express political opinions or engage in political activism".

So we are unlikely to see it pop up on ballot papers in the foreseeable future.

And that means the likes of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are safe in their jobs...for now.

Let's give the last word to the chatbot.

Asked if a bot could one day be prime minister, it said: "Overall, while it is theoretically possible for a robot to be the prime minister of a country, it would be a challenging task and would likely require significant advancements in artificial intelligence and decision-making capabilities."

Which sounds exactly like the kind of answer a quietly-ambitious politician would give.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
×