The Microsoft-powered bot says bosses can take workers’ tips and that landlords can discriminate based on source of income

NYC’s AI Chatbot Tells Businesses to Break the Law

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2024-03-29 15:00:13

The Microsoft-powered bot says bosses can take workers’ tips and that landlords can discriminate based on source of income By Colin Lecher

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This article is copublished with Documented, a nonprofit newsroom that covers New York City’s immigrant communities, and The City, a non-profit newsroom that serves the people of New York. Sign up for Documented’s newsletters and The City’s newsletter, The Scoop.

In October, New York City announced a plan to harness the power of artificial intelligence to improve the business of government. The announcement included a surprising centerpiece: an AI-powered chatbot that would provide New Yorkers with information on starting and operating a business in the city.

Five months after launch, it’s clear that while the bot appears authoritative, the information it provides on housing policy, worker rights, and rules for entrepreneurs is often incomplete and in worst-case scenarios “dangerously inaccurate,” as one local housing policy expert told The Markup.