New York City defends AI chatbot that advised entrepreneurs to break laws

FILE PHOTO: New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference at 1 Police Plaza in New York City, U.S., April 3, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) -New York City Mayor Eric Adams is defending the city's new artificial intelligence chatbot that has been caught in recent days giving business owners wrong answers or advice that, if followed, would entail breaking the law.

When launched as a pilot in October, the MyCity chatbot was touted as the first city-wide use of such AI technology, something that would give business owners "actionable and trusted information" in response to queries typed into an online portal.