Canadian politician slammed after reading AI-generated text during legislative speech
“Here’s a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points.”
Loading the front page…
“Here’s a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points.”
A New Brunswick opposition MLA is facing criticism after appearing to read what observers say was AI-generated text during a speech in the provincial legislature, including a sentence that appeared to be an editing instruction from a chatbot.
Progressive Conservative MLA Bill Oliver was speaking last month against legislation that would establish a public advocate for energy utilities when he read the line: “Here’s a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points.”
The remark went largely unnoticed at the time. Weeks later, however, a video clip circulated on Reddit, where users mocked the speech and questioned whether artificial intelligence had been used to prepare it.
One commenter wrote, “If there are no consequences for this, then we hold our high-schoolers to a higher standard than our elected officials.” Another added, “If he was a lawyer, he’d be sanctioned.” Other users described the incident as “amateur hour,” “idiotocracy,” “depressing,” and “good grief.”
Oliver's office did not respond to a request for comment, according to the original report.
The speech centered on legislation creating a public advocate for energy utilities. Earlier in the address, Oliver said, “Public confidence in the office of an advocate matters,” before later reading the apparent chatbot instruction aloud.
The wording resembles responses generated by large language models such as ChatGPT. The original report said that when the bill was entered into ChatGPT with instructions to draft an opposing speech in Oliver's style, the chatbot produced similar language. The report also said AI-detection service Pangram assessed the speech as being highly likely to have been AI-generated.
The episode comes amid broader scrutiny over the use of artificial intelligence in professional settings. Courts in multiple jurisdictions have addressed cases involving AI-generated legal filings containing fabricated citations, while schools, businesses, and governments continue developing policies governing the technology's use.
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
