The Rotorua Lakes Council in 2023. Rotorua local body election candidates have shared mixed views on the use of AI in campaigning. Photo: Andrew Warner/NZME
Rotorua Lakes Council's local election candidates have mixed views on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in campaigning and whether it risks undermining the qualities voters expect from them.
It comes as one expert compares the nature of such content with junk food as it becomes increasingly prolific.
This will be Rotorua's first local elections since ChatGPT launched.
Dr Bronwyn Isaacs, a University of Waikato anthropology lecturer specialising in the cultural politics of AI, said she had observed a rise in generative-AI use in political content.
Its affordability, ease of access and the ability to manage the pressure for a high volume of content are all factors.
But Isaacs said the quality of this content could be questionable, like being served "constant two-minute noodles".
While she sees positives in AI-generated content, especially in communicating ideas with government, it remains a delicate balance.
"The danger is relying overly on tools that hallucinate and make recommendations based on poor sources of evidence," she said.
"Scraping the internet of data can result in something that is often unreliable and can reproduce common stereotypes and misunderstandings."
Local Democracy Reporting approached the 31 candidates across the 11 mayoral, rural, general and Māori vacancies in the Rotorua district.
Mayor Tania Tapsell and Māori ward candidates Trevor Maxwell and Te Whatanui Skipwith confirmed they were not using AI for campaigning.
General ward candidate Matthew Doidge said he was not using generative AI "in any form" and hoped no other candidate was.
"The electorate are voting for real people to represent them, genuine candidates who have thoughtfully considered the issues, not for a chatbot."
He suggested candidates using AI-generated content should disclose that fact, a position shared by fellow general ward candidates Richard Collins, Pam Neilson and Frank Grapl and Māori ward hopefuls Rawiri Waru and Merepeka Raukawa-Tait.
Waru said: "It's becoming easier to identify those who use it often".
"Technology is great, but no substitution for the true human mind."
Neville Raethel and Jared Adams used AI for a variety of reasons, including spelling, grammar, logo-making, website creation and video editing.
Both believed its use should be declared, with Raethel concerned about AI-generated imagery and Adams about its limitations and ability to stay up-to-date.
Adams said: "It also says weird things Kiwis and locals wouldn't say, and sometimes is plain wrong".
Mayoral candidate Don Paterson had used AI for video editing and image generation, but said it should not be used to "distort facts or mislead". He had "no concerns" over the ethics of AI use.
Others were more pragmatic, especially regarding use of AI for research purposes or to streamline administrative work.
"AI supports efficiency and creativity in my campaign," Mariana Morrison said. "But all decisions and messaging ultimately reflect my own values and judgment."
Rotorua Lakes Councillor Robert Lee. Photo: Laura Smith/NZME
Robert Lee, also running for mayor, uses AI for research but never for written text, he said.
He was concerned it could make some candidates "appear more literate and coherent" than they were in reality, a worry general ward candidate Ryan Gray echoed.
"Voters need to know candidates are capable of making a difference through fierce advocacy at the council table, as opposed to relying on AI to think for them," Gray said.
Jenny Chapman agreed. She worried that candidates relying "on AI too much" might reduce their critical thinking.
Reynold MacPherson, hoping to return to the council table in October, believed AI use was now "standard practice" but reminded voters it was "only as effective as the skill and judgment of the person using it".
Mayoral candidate Shakaina Fraser expressed a belief that God "created everything for our use" when asked about the use of AI in campaigning and on her Facebook page.
AI has not only developed in translating thoughts into words. Its proficiency in developing audio, images or video, known as deepfakes, has accelerated.
"This has potential to cause serious harm to the candidate if they are misrepresented by the manipulated content," a Local Government New Zealand spokesperson said.
Haehaetu Barrett, Karen Barker, Philly Angus, Gregg Brown, Brendan Davis, Sandra Kai Fong, Jason Monahan, Conan O'Brien, Ben Sandford, Rahul Sethi, Fisher Wang, Te Rika Temara-Benfell and Harina Rupapera were approached for comment.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
