It’s Election Day in the US. Naturally, AI figures into it. So, a story where Perplexity has launched a controversial AI election hub is appropriate today!

According to the AI Tool Report (Perplexity launched controversial AI election hub, written by Martin Crowley and available here), Perplexity has launched an AI-powered Election Information Hub ahead of the US general election, which is today, November 5th!

Voters can ask questions like where their local polling stations are, what time the polls open, and what the voting requirements are, and can get AI-generated summaries and analyses of candidates, ballot measures, official policy stances, and endorsements. And, from Tuesday, the hub will also provide live updates on elections so voters can stay “informed on presidential, senate, and house races at both a state and national level.”

The hub is powered by data from the Associated Press, which will provide the live updates and will also give per-state breakdowns, showing the percentage of votes counted and who’s leading. Democracy Works, which also powers a similar feature for Google, will provide the AI summaries and voting information, alongside a curated “set of the most trustworthy and informative sources,” including from Ballotpedia and news organizations, which are “non-partisan” and have all been “fact-checked.” 

Although the hub has been designed as “an entry point for understanding key issues,” it has already encountered accuracy issues, with users reporting mistakes and inaccuracies with the information it’s providing, such as failing to mention that Robert F. Kennedy—who was listed on the ballot—had dropped out, for example. 

It’s a good thing that humans never make these types of mistakes, as the image at the top of this post illustrates. 😉

Regardless how election results are being tracked and regardless who people are voting for, please remember to treat your fellow Americans with caring and compassion on this Election Day, and beyond. It’s what we’re supposed to do – treat each other how we want to be treated. Even an AI algorithm knows that. Let’s make sure that we humans don’t forget it.

So, what do you think? Are you going to check out the election hub that Perplexity has launched? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

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