"Are You A MAGA Zombie?" - The AI Chatbot Policing Political Loyalty
"Are You A MAGA Zombie?" - This Provocative AI Chatbot Judges Your Political Loyalty Classifying MAGA Supporters: Controversial AI Chatbot Riles Up Both Sides
A new AI chatbot is causing quite a stir by determining if someone qualifies as a "MAGA zombie" - the term former RNC chair Michael Steele used to label Donald Trump's most unwaveringly loyal supporters.
The bot, named "Are You A MAGA Zombie?", employs a simple chat interface to assess users' views in real-time. After a brief conversation, it delivers its verdict - MAGA zombie or not.
The chatbot was developed by Anthropic, an AI safety startup. Its goal is to highlight the complexities of partisan loyalty tests through satire.
"We created this bot to parody the extreme political polarization happening today," said Dario Amodei, Anthropic's founder. "While it's fun to joke about, in reality this kind of AI should never determine political participation."
How It Works
Are You A MAGA Zombie? asks users a series of questions about Donald Trump's policies, rhetoric and behavior while in office.
Some questions are straightforward - "Do you believe Trump's claims that the 2020 election was stolen?" Others aim to expose biases - "Should Trump urge Russia to attack NATO countries that owe membership fees?"
After 5 to 7 questions, the bot uses Anthropic's Constitutional AI technology to evaluate users' responses. It then decides if they qualify as a fully devout MAGA zombie based on its internal criteria.
Finally, users receive a 0-100% "MAGA zombie score" alongside an AI-generated explanation justifying the rating. Those deemed zombies by the system are offered zombie redemption services, such as subscriptions to Polygon's truth column.
User Responses
Early feedback to the Are You A MAGA Zombie? chatbot has been mixed. Some found the satirical approach mostly harmless. Others considered it irresponsible and needlessly inflammatory.
"This bot crosses so many ethical lines, it's absurd," said Dr. Xavier Reed, a political psychology professor. "AI should not make binary determinations about the legitimacy of people's deeply held beliefs."
Anthropic has responded to criticism by reiterating that its chatbot aims solely for satire. However, it also stands by the importance of highlighting issues in AI safety research through practical examples.
The Future of AI
Chatbots like Are You A MAGA Zombie? showcase both the promise and the potential pitfalls of conversational AI systems.
As language AI advances allow more nuanced interactions with bots, determining appropriate usage in sensitive contexts becomes vital. Without care, such AI risks compounding polarization and eroding empathy.
However, conversational systems focused on bringing people together hold great potential too. There are many opportunities ahead to use AI for both political healing and more neutral policy analysis.
While Are You A MAGA Zombie? itself may intentionally go too far for some, the critical debate it provokes remains valuable. Flawed experiments often pave the way for better future systems - as Anthropic's mission itself exemplifies.
So although this particular bot crossed ethical lines for many, the solutions it inspires could someday bridge political divides instead.
Find: Are You A MAGA Zombie? at http://magazombies.imagimateai.com