Key Hightlights
- Unanimous Approval: The city council unanimously approved a new water meter law in October, later revealed to be entirely written by ChatGPT, an AI by OpenAI
- Efficient Legislative Process: Councilman Ramiro Rosario used ChatGPT to generate the bill in about 15 seconds, addressing water meter theft. The law became effective just six days after approval
- AI-Generated Solutions: ChatGPT proposed impressive solutions, including a 30-day deadline for replacing stolen water meters and waiving water bills if the deadline wasn’t met, addressing a longstanding issue
- Unaware Council Approval: All 36 council members unknowingly accepted the AI-generated response, which underwent scrutiny and minimal changes by the legislative branch
- Discussion Spark: The experiment aimed to spark a discussion on the onset of a technological revolution, initially met with skepticism but later acknowledged as a potential common practice by the council’s president
A new law regarding water meters in a Brazilian city was unanimously approved by the city council in October. Recently, it was revealed that the entire bill was written by ChatGPT, an AI developed by OpenAI, as disclosed by its sponsor in a post.
ChatGPT-Authored Legislation: Unanimous Approved in Porto Alegre
The law officially became effective on November 23. Just six days later, councilman Ramiro Rosario from Porto Alegre shared that the legislation was created by OpenAI’s chatbot, according to The Washington Post.
Rosario explained to The Post that instead of going through days of traditional legislative discussions, he generated the bill in about 15 seconds by entering a command into ChatGPT. The command instructed the AI to create a municipal law for Porto Alegre, originating from the legislature rather than the executive branch. The law was intended to prevent the Municipal Water and Sewage Department from charging property owners for a new water meter in case of theft.
In response, ChatGPT proposed solutions that impressed Rosario. The AI suggested a 30-day deadline for the city to replace stolen water meters and a provision to waive water bills if the deadline was not met, addressing a problem that had been affecting constituents for months, as reported by The Washington Post.
The response created by artificial intelligence (AI) was accepted by all 36 council members without them knowing it was AI-generated, as reported by The Post. The proposal had undergone scrutiny from various council committees, and only minor changes were made by the legislative drafting branch.
According to The Post, Rosario mentioned that this experiment aimed to spark a discussion about the beginning of a significant technological revolution. Initially met with skepticism by the council’s president, Hamilton Sossmeier, who deemed it a “dangerous precedent,” the sentiment changed after further examination. Sossmeier acknowledged that AI-generated content might become a common practice.
Business Insider reported that Rosario kept the AI’s involvement a secret initially because he was concerned that lawmakers’ biases against AI could hinder the proposal from being voted on. He explained that revealing AI’s contribution only after approval ensured a smooth process without external interference.
In reflecting on the importance of the AI-generated proposal, Rosario expressed support for the idea that artificial intelligence can optimize resources and save time for political agents and public servants, allowing them to focus on essential aspects of their work.
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