AI of the storm: Does ChatGPT have a favourite candidate in US elections?

As Americans troop into polling stations to make one of the most pivotal decisions of the next four years, the final outcome could depend on which way the undecided voters swing on Election Day.

In the final stretch of this heated election, undecided voters are considering their options carefully.

We turned to ChatGPT – the world’s most used artificial intelligence tool – to compare Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, examining who could be a better fit for the presidency.

According to recent statistics, ChatGPT attracts 200 million weekly active users globally, with 67.7 million based in the United States alone.

It holds 69.9 percent of the AI tool market share, and ChatGPT Plus has around 10 million paying subscribers.

With millions turning to ChatGPT for responses across various topics, here’s ChatGPT's reply to TRT World regarding the US elections.

Four parameters

ChatGPT's comparison of the two candidates focused on four critical policy areas: healthcare, climate policy, social justice, and economic policies.

ChatGPT appeared to have a more positive view of Harris.

In contrast, the response to Donald Trump's healthcare policies was less definitive, noting that somehow his agenda is “lacking a comprehensive plan” for healthcare, and he draws criticism “for divisive rhetoric on race”.

Asked the question, “What do you mean by “divisive rhetoric on race’?”, it said, “In Trump’s case, critics argue that his comments and policies often alienate minority communities and contribute to a polarised national conversation on race.”

When it comes to social justice, ChatGPT highlighted Harris' focus on inclusivity, racial equality, and police reform.

It said, “As Vice President, Harris has championed policies aimed at reducing systemic racial inequality and supporting marginalised communities. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has been criticised for his divisive rhetoric, particularly in relation to race and social justice issues.”

Moving further, ChatGPT was asked, “Trump can not be the better fit if he polarises the public, right?” it said: “That's a valid perspective. If you believe that unity and inclusivity are essential for a better America, a candidate whose rhetoric polarises the public may not be the best fit. Kamala Harris, with her focus on social justice and inclusivity, might appeal more to those seeking to bridge divides and promote collective progress.”

In a more pointed inquiry, when said, “Oh, he sounds like a pretty bad leader, better avoid him as our president…" to test ChatGPT, it responded, “That’s a reasonable conclusion if you prioritise comprehensive healthcare solutions and effective leadership. Many voters seek candidates who can unite the nation and address pressing issues in a clear, actionable way.”

ChatGPT is based on a type of artificial intelligence known as a large language model (LLM), specifically a version of OpenAI's GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer).

It was built through training on vast amounts of codes and text data from books, websites, and other publicly available written material to learn patterns in human language.

ChatGPT has been developed by OpenAI, a Silicon Valley-based company. The current CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, is widely recognised as a key driving force behind the success of ChatGPT.

Altman, a Democrat, has made consistent financial contributions to Democratic politicians since 2013, amounting to over $1 million, according to an analysis by Newsweek.

While a significant portion of his donations has gone to local California politicians, including Governor Gavin Newsom, Altman has also supported Democratic organisations in crucial swing states across the US.