“He did it twice”: Politician goes viral after reading AI prompt during speech

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Bill Oliver, a member of Canada's Progressive Conservative Party, delivered a speech in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick that contained AI chatbot instructions

- The veteran politician read aloud a line saying 'here's a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech' without realising what he was doing

- The clip sparked widespread ridicule online, with critics pointing out that the real failure was nobody reviewing the speech before Oliver stood up to deliver it

A Canadian politician has become the subject of intense online mockery after he unknowingly read out AI prompt instructions during an official speech in parliament.

Bill Oliver, a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick, was speaking in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick when the embarrassing moment unfolded.

The clip has since spread rapidly across social media, drawing both laughter and sharp criticism. The speech began on a serious note, with Oliver emphasising the value of public accountability.

"Public confidence in the office of an advocate matters," he declared, before the tone shifted dramatically.

Did Bill Oliver read an AI prompt?

Without pausing, Oliver continued reading from what appeared to be an unedited AI-generated response, saying, "Here's a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points."

The line was clearly part of the chatbot's output rather than the intended speech itself. It appears that Oliver or a member of his staff had fed a set of bullet points into an AI tool and asked it to produce a polished legislative address.

The finished product, including the chatbot's own instructions to the user, was then handed directly to Oliver, who delivered it without reviewing it beforehand.

While some observers expressed concern about politicians relying on AI to write their speeches, the loudest criticism centred on the apparent failure to proofread the text before it reached the floor of the legislature.

Netizens react after politician reads AI prompt

Abdi wrote:

"Whether the speech was written by staff, by AI or by a combination of both, someone was supposed to read it before it reached the Legislature. Apparently, no one did."

Tamale Bashir:

"You catch it from here. 'here is a more natural flowing section of that version that reads like a legislative speech rather than.'"

Bob Ono:

"A city councillor also went viral in the Philippines after accidentally reading an AI-generated instruction during a public prayer. The councillor included the line, 'Feel free to modify this prayer or tailor it to your specific needs,' which was obviously part of the AI response and not part of the prayer itself."

For many online, Oliver's blunder was less about technology and more about a troubling disconnect between elected officials and the words they deliver to their constituents on matters of public trust.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.