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Electoral AI




Perplexity AI, a leading AI Search app, has launched its Election Information Hub to provide reliable voting information using AI, which includes AI-generated answers to voting questions, candidate summaries, and live vote counts on Election Day.


Functions:

  • The  Election Information Hub provides AI-generated summaries of candidates, including their platforms, policy positions, and endorsements, as well as localized information on candidates and ballot measures based on your address or city.

  • Significantly, the hub allows users to enter a location to see what's on their ballot and provides state-by-state updates on the presidential, US Senate, and US House elections, showing the percentage of votes counted and who's leading.

  • The hub allows users to access specific details about what's on the ballot in their area, view relevant candidates and measures, and track key races, including the presidency, US Senate, and House of Representatives.

  • Perplexity's AI-powered candidate summaries offer a concise overview, helping voters learn more about each candidate.

Data:

  • The hub uses data from The Associated Press (AP) and Democracy Works, which also supports Google's similar features, to provide information on polling requirements, times, and locations.

  • The election-related answers are drawn from trusted, fact-checked sources like Ballotpedia and news outlets, and Perplexity is monitoring its system to prioritize these sources when answering election questions.


Early Days

  • Despite relying on non-partisan, fact-checked sources, the hub experienced some issues in early going, including errors in candidate summaries, such as missing key details or including incorrect information.

  • Sara Platnick, a spokesperson for Perplexity, emphasized the company's commitment to accuracy, closely monitoring the system to maintain accuracy and prioritizing fact-checked sources in election-related responses.

  • The minor errors in some summaries were quickly updated according to Ms. Platnick. The company's fast response to these early issues demonstrates its focus on making the Election Information Hub reliable and user-friendly.


Real Time Results:

  • Perplexity's investment in real time data presents a promising tool for voters seeking reliable information throughout the election cycle, providing real-time updates on major races, quick responses to polling questions, and summaries of candidates.


Breaking New Ground

  • Using AI to deliver voter information presents unique challenges, especially given the importance of accuracy in election-related content, but Perplexity's approach could set a precedent for other tech companies interested in using AI to support democratic processes.

  • Perplexity's approach to election information is unique among its chatbot peers, as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude do not answer election-related queries to avoid potentially embarrassing and damaging responses.

  • Doubtless, this is the first instance of real time electoral AI in presidential politics, and represents the shape of things to come.




Disclosure notice: Aegis Intel is an investor in Perplexity AI

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