British Technology Minister Peter Kyle has used the chatbot ChatGPT to seek advice on which podcasts he should appear on and to ask the neural network about the slow introduction of artificial intelligence in the British economy, according to the New Scientist magazine, which obtained access to Kyle’s freedom of information requests.
Kyle also asked the chatbot to explain some technical terms in his field, including antimatter, quantum and digital integration. Experts consulted by the news agency expressed surprise at the quality of the responses.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology, which Kyle heads, said that the minister uses AI as a tool, but not as a substitute for expert advice. The ministry emphasized that the government uses AI as a time-saving instrument, supported by clear guidance for a swift and safe deployment of the technology.
New Scientist requested data from the minister after an interview on PoliticsHome, in which he described himself as frequently using ChatGPT and expressed a positive view of the chatbot, as well as a statement by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the government should use AI more to improve efficiency.
Initially, the ministry refused to provide the requested information, citing the fact that the correspondence history contained questions and answers that were both official and personal in nature. After New Scientist clarified that the request only concerned official questions, the ministry granted the request.
Experts were surprised that the magazine was able to access the minister’s correspondence as a whole under the freedom of information act. They were divided on how to view the use of a chatbot – as a messenger, email correspondence, or a search query, which is more easily accessible under the FOI. Experts who chose the second option noted that a neural network, unlike a search engine like Google, creates something based on the data it receives from the user.