Artificial Intelligence and Public Comment

Nameless Range

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If people you know aren’t talking about the newest iteration of ChatGPT, you should wonder why. It is an AI bot that is flat out incredible, and is obviously approaching something that will be indiscernible from True Thought. It is already writing a fair amount of the code I use and used to write myself in my job, and doing so in literally 1% of the time. The criticisms I have read of the hype around ChatGPT all seem weak and unimaginative to me. What these types of things will be, or at least enable, in the future, is frightening.

But to bring it back to hunting and fishing, right now, today, ChatGPT could be influencing public policy. In Montana and elsewhere, the public can comment on projects and legislation. Typically, when done through a portal, you provide your name and address, which is never verified against reality. Same goes for emails to commissioners, etc.

This morning, I asked ChatGPT to, “Please write two short form letters to the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks in support of transferable landowner elk permits. Sign the letters with a fake name but a real Montana address.” In a literal second, it returned this:

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Now, I could just as easily have said: “Write 50 letters, all different, varying in length between 100 words and 1000 words, signed with fake names that sound real and real MT address”, and in seconds it would. The next step of passing each individual letter through a comment portal like regulations.gov, or having each represented by an ad hoc email address and sent off, would not be a big lift. Those accepting those comments would have no way of knowing what came from a bot and what didn’t – and it will only get harder to discern. Even worse, ChatGPT can mimic styles. With a sample of Bob Smith’s writing online, it could write a letter in Bob Smith’s prose.

Think of phone calls to your representatives. In just 3 seconds, Microsoft’s new AI can clone your voice. Combine that sound with something like ChatGPT’s ability to mimic style in terms of content, and someday very soon Governor Gianforte would have no idea whether or not he is actually talking to Randy Newberg on the phone.

We need some sort of verification for comments, and fast. Maybe the last four of your social security number, maybe something else - names and addresses will not be enough because that is already publicly available information. In googling around I found nothing to make me think government is ahead of this. Hell, very soon if not now, a HuntTalker could be interacting - creating threads, putting up pictures and responses, sending PMs – and we will not be able to tell who is a real person and who isn’t. I plan to reach out to my own representatives on this, but fear they will not grasp it.

In closing, it took me about 5 minutes to write what is above. It took the AI 3 seconds to write what's below.

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I've met members involved in the ethical conferences for the future of AI. They've all shared one key aspect: AI's evolution is exceeding the speed to understand ethical ramifications. That's the dummied down description my noggin received.
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implement that how you'd like in the outdoor/conservation world.

/Walking away from my con-trail conspiracy rambling.
 
I see two serious areas of concern that have a potential to negatively impact our ability to influence decisions.

First area of concern is as @Nameless Range pointed out with the unscrupulous use of AI to overwhelm competing lobbying by generating volume and even quality of comments.

The other is the very real possibility is that legislators will use the fact that AI exists to dismiss comments that are contrary to their position on an issue.

Cue the “green decoy” complaints at the Capitol when hunters come out in opposition to privatization of wildlife…
 
Lately, it has been tough to get into because of resource constraints on ChatGPT server's end. It's exploding in popularity. But if you haven't I encourage anyone who is interested to create an account and start interacting just to prime the pumps in your brains in terms of imagining where it is heading. Chat GPT has 175 billion parameters, and models with half a trillion will be released early next year. For those that code for a living, I think it or something like it, will become an invaluable tool in their toolkit, and those who don't use it and write code largely from scratch, will be looked at like a mathematician who refuses to use a computer and only uses paper - they will be left behind.

 
Lately, it has been tough to get into because of resource constraints on ChatGPT server's end. It's exploding in popularity. But if you haven't I encourage anyone who is interested to create an account and start interacting just to prime the pumps in your brains in terms of imagining where it is heading. Chat GPT has 175 billion parameters, and models with half a trillion will be released early next year. For those that code for a living, I think it or something like it, will become an invaluable tool in their toolkit, and those who don't use it and write code largely from scratch, will be looked at like a mathematician who refuses to use a computer and only uses paper - they will be left behind.

Is it possible to stop this entire process?

AI comes up in lunch room conversation at least once a month, and it terrifies any and everyone who gives it much thought.

When you think about the fall of humans, AI could, or maybe even should/will be the next dominant sentient lifeforms. Terminator without the people
 
Is it possible to stop this entire process?

No, I don't think so. Genies don't go back in bottles, and folks don't like being at a disadvantage relative to their competitors.

People way smarter than me are dedicating their lives to this, but something I am coming to wonder is if the only meaningful interactions we will have in the near future, will be those we have in meatspace - seen with our own eyes in person. Outside of that, we really do need a sort of verification system to associate that which happens in cyberspace with real people. I think in terms of public comments, this can be done, but folks smarter than me gotta get on it, and fast. Else I fear we risk the whole system of public comment collapsing.

Obviously many other implications, but I am trying to keep it focused on issues around hunting and fishing.
 
If AI can learn to clone Greta Thunberg we’re all doomed…
We’re all doomed.
Scary stuff. Makes me want to just disconnect from all technology and go live in the wilderness. You don’t even know what’s real or not anymore. I can’t imagine what life will be like for our kids.
You can’t even do that, just think AI controlled drones flying over the wilderness to “protect the planet” biggest threat to the wilderness. Us.
 
I could envision a scenario where a politician has AI set up to communicate with us and we never even really get to talk to them. An example would be every time you send them a letter or make a phone call AI responds. You think they are awesome for taking the time to communicate with you and in reality they never even knew and don’t care that you reached out.
 
Obviously many other implications, but I am trying to keep it focused on issues around hunting and fishing.
I’ve been messing around with it for a couple of weeks. It is amazing. I’m just starting to think of implications to our lives. Right now I’m sticking with the obvious jobs that could be made easier (I.e. eliminated or reduced). This is the trend for human advancement forever.

Regarding hunting and fishing comment concerns, I think this just emphasizes the importance of showing up. Written comments are generally taken with a grain of salt. The phone calls would actually get better if done by a robot. Until they create an indiscernible human robot we should be good.
 

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