Dr Luke Evans, the Member of Parliament, is the first MP to give a speech in the House of Commons which was authored by Artificial Intelligence (AI) using ChatGPT.
ChatGPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer), developed by OpenAI, is pre-trained on a large dataset of human-generated text, which helps it learn the patterns and conventions of natural language.
The system is activated by the inputting of a prompt or seed text. Users can then command the model to write anything from letters and speeches to recipes, poems or even songs in the style of a certain musician.
Chat GPT, launched in November, can develop on initial commands and rework responses into bullet-points, press releases in a certain style or academic text. The model bases its knowledge of the user off previous commands and questions, learning and developing an understanding of the user’s preferences.
The MP, Dr Evans, said “my command to it was simple: write a Churchillian speech on the state of the United Kingdom over the past 12 months.” The system then wrote the 324-word speech, mentioning the Government’s Furlough scheme, Brexit plan, investment in the NHS and commitment to law and order, which Dr Evans read out in a first for the House of Commons.
The GP-turned-MP then explained that he used ChatGPT to bring attention to the changing manner in which AI is being used. Dr Evans called for the start of a wider debate on the role of Artificial Intelligence in society and its regulation, given the emerging impact of new technologies now readily available.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said after reading the AI-generated speech: “This year there has been a seismic change in the way that Artificial Intelligence can be used. Gone are the days when generational knowledge was passed on from person to person. With the advent of the internet, we suddenly do not need to know and retain knowledge; we need only to find out where to go to get it. And now, with AI, we can ask the computer how to use that information.
“This is an incredible step forward, but with that come huge issues about autonomy, liability, fairness, safety, morality, and even ownership of creativity. We in this House must ask ourselves how we govern this, because so much comes down to algorithms.
“The Government have gone some way to dealing with this. The AI Council was formed in 2019, and the National AI Strategy is run by the Office for Artificial Intelligence. I think, however, that we are missing a trick, and that there should be a regulator for algorithms and artificial intelligence, to run concurrently and in synergy with the technology we are developing.”
In concluding the speech, the MP again demonstrated that the technology raises issues around creativity rights when Dr Evans asked it to produce a “rhyming poem about the Houses of Parliament at Christmas”. The Bosworth MP delivered the poem to somewhat-surprised MPs in the House of Commons.
Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, in closing the debate added: “The speech of my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Dr Evans) was a parliamentary first… He reminds us that we must pick up the pace and move with the speed that business and science need us to.”
A link to the speech on Hansard (the official record of Parliament): Christmas Adjournment - Hansard - UK Parliament
