New York City Councilwoman-Elect Admits to Using AI to Respond to Constituents, Press

A Democratic candidate for New York City Council who won her election and is set to take office in January has reportedly admitted to using artificial intelligence to communicate and respond to her constituents and the media.

Susan Zhuang, who will be representing a new Asian-majority district in Brooklyn, says that she used popular AI text generation tools such as ChatGPT after she was accused of doing so to submit answers to an interview with the publication City & State, the New York Post reports.

When asked in the interview “What part of campaigning will you not miss?” she answered “The communicative untruthfulness from opposition.” Also, when asked “What makes someone a New Yorker?” she submitted the following as her reply:

“New York City, the concrete jungle where dreams come true. It’s not just a place, it’s a state of mind. Being a New Yorker means having an unstoppable hustle, unbreakable resilience and unrivaled independence. It’s about navigating the fast-paced streets with confidence and embracing the vibrant diversity that makes this city so special. Join a community of like-minded individuals who are proud to call themselves New Yorkers. Connect with people from all walks of life, sharing diverse cultures and backgrounds that contribute to the city’s dynamic tapestry. Experience the energy and excitement as you become part of something bigger than yourself.”

The New York Post reports that a “top Democratic operative” suggested it should run Zhuang’s words through an AI-content detection website, as her replies “sounded nothing like” her. When The Messenger ran that response through Copyleaks.com, the system flagged the whole statement as AI-generated. Copyleaks.com boasts that it has a 99% accuracy rate for finding AI-generated content.

When contacted by the New York Post, Zhuang reportedly initially blamed her staffers before sending a text to a reporter that said: “As an immigrant and Brooklyn’s first Chinese-American Councilwoman, I, like many of my fellow immigrants, use AI as a tool to help foster deeper understanding as well as for personal growth, particularly when English is not my primary language.”

Zhuang’s admittance that she used AI comes as a fellow Democrat councilmember, Julie Menin, is advocating for the Federal Election Commission to prohibit politicians from being able to use “deceptive artificial intelligence” in their campaigns.