WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Committee on Rules and Administration, and Representative Joseph Morelle, Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, the Senate and House committees with oversight over federal elections, called on Amazon for answers after recent reporting revealed that the company’s voice assistant Alexa spread false claims about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
“As we approach the 2024 elections, we write to express serious concern about recent reporting that Amazon Alexa – a virtual voice assistant tool relied upon by millions of Americans – is repeating false claims about the outcome of the 2020 elections,” wrote the lawmakers. “According to public reports, when asked about the 2020 presidential election Amazon Alexa cited unvetted sources to make false claims about election fraud.”
“This spreading of election-related misinformation and disinformation is particularly troubling given the emerging use of artificial intelligence to mislead voters. With some ballots for the 2024 election being sent out as early as this December, it is important that proactive measures are promptly taken so that voters can trust the information that is provided to them,” the lawmakers continued.
Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Mr. Bezos:
As we approach the 2024 elections, we write to express serious concern about recent reporting that Amazon Alexa – a virtual voice assistant tool relied upon by millions of Americans – is repeating false claims about the outcome of the 2020 elections and to request information about your efforts to combat this troubling content.
According to public reports, when asked about the 2020 presidential election Amazon Alexa cited unvetted sources to make false claims about election fraud. While Alexa relies on a variety of sources to answer questions, when asked about the 2020 presidential election it appears that some answers were provided by contributors instead of verified news sources.
This spreading of election-related misinformation and disinformation is particularly troubling given the emerging use of artificial intelligence to mislead voters. With some ballots for the 2024 election being sent out as early as this December, it is important that proactive measures are promptly taken so that voters can trust the information that is provided to them.
It is for this reason that we request responses to the following questions by November 3, 2023.
- What is Amazon’s existing policy to address the spread and amplification of election misinformation and disinformation by Alexa? What steps have been taken to improve the accuracy of information repeated by Alexa?
- How is Amazon vetting responses from contributors, particularly responses pertaining to our elections?
- In advance of the 2024 elections, what additional protections does Amazon intend to implement to prevent the spread of election misinformation and disinformation?
- What procedures does Amazon make available for users or others to raise concerns or complaints of misinformation shared by Alexa?
Thank you for your attention to these important issues. We look forward to your response.
###
