🔗 Share this article Artificial Intelligence Assistants Provide ‘Misleading and Partial’ Election Guidance, Claims Dutch Watchdog AI assistants have been shown to be “unreliable and clearly biased” when offering voting advice, the Netherlands’ data watchdog has stated, issuing warnings about a possible risk to democratic processes just eight days before national elections. Testing Reveals Repeated Partiality in Chatbot Recommendations The four chatbots tested by the AP “often end up with the same two parties”, irrespective of the voter’s inquiry or input, the regulator explained in a analysis released ahead of the late October vote. For over 50% of instances, the chatbot suggested either the far-right Freedom party (PVV) of Geert Wilders or the progressive GroenLinks-PvdA led by the former European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans. Certain groups, such as the centre-right CDA, “are rarely ever cited”, despite the fact that the user’s input precisely aligns with the stances of these parties, the report pointed out. Authority Figure Cautions Against Relying on AI Assistants for Voting Guidance The vice-chair of the AP, the official Monique Verdier, stated that while AI assistants appear to be smart resources, “for election guidance, they repeatedly fall short”. Citizens were being steered toward a political group that did not necessarily align with their ideological beliefs, she emphasized. “This immediately affects a cornerstone of democracy: the integrity of free and fair elections,” said Verdier. “We therefore warn against using AI chatbots for voting advice, as their functioning is opaque and hard to confirm.” Election Context and Party Dynamics Netherlands citizens vote on October 29 in an election that will be keenly observed across the continent for the showing of the PVV. The right-leaning group of Geert Wilders is leading the polls but the lead over the left-wing and centre-right parties appears to be narrowing, with numerous electors still undecided. Every significant political faction have rejected a coalition with the Freedom party, meaning the runner-up party is most likely to supply the future head of government. Inadvertent Prejudice Linked to Chatbot Functioning The AP stressed that the AI systems were not intentionally prejudiced, and that their “noted flaws” are a consequence of the way AI chatbots operate.