Should Artificial Intelligence Decide the Fate of Our Constitution?

ChatGPT and Google Bard

With all the controversy over artificial intelligence (“AI”), I decided to take ChatGPT and Google Bard on test drives on a topic I am passionate about. Namely, understanding and preserving our Constitution.

What prompted the topic I chose was a “guest essay” in the Opinion Section of the New York Times on August 15, 2022, entitled “The Constitution Is Broken and Should Not Be Reclaimed,” by law professors Ryan D. Doerfler of Harvard and Samuel Moyn of Yale.

Test Drive AI: “Would the United States be better off without the Constitution?”

So, if the Constitution should not be “reclaimed” (meaning retrieved or recovered something previously lost), my question to both ChatGPT and Bard was “Would the United States be better off without the Constitution?”

Both produced short articles which addressed the question and briefly gave pros and cons.

Bard’s Answer

Bard ended its article with this:

“Ultimately, whether the United States would be better off without the Constitution is a matter of opinion. There are both potential benefits and drawbacks to consider, and the decision would likely depend on a variety of factors.

“It is important to note that the Constitution is not perfect. It has been amended 27 times, and there are many who believe that it needs to be reformed or even replaced. However, the Constitution has also served the United States well for over 200 years. It has helped to protect individual rights and liberties, and it has provided a framework for a stable and prosperous government. Whether or not the United States would be better off without the Constitution is a complex question with no easy answer.”

My opinion of Bard’s conclusion is that while trying to be “fair” to all points of view, to conclude that there is no easy answer, opens the door to scrapping the Constitution, which would finally destroy our country. Why would Bard reach that conclusion while stating the obvious? That is, “the Constitution has also served the United States well for over 200 years. It has helped to protect individual rights and liberties, and it has provided a framework for a stable and prosperous government.”

ChatGPT’s Answer

On the other hand, ChatGPT ended its article with:

“It is important to note that removing or significantly altering the Constitution would require a substantial reimagining of the American political and legal system. While some individuals may advocate for such changes, it is essential to consider the potential consequences and complexities that would arise from such a transition.

“Ultimately, whether the United States would be better off without the Constitution is a matter of personal opinion and perspective. The Constitution has been the foundation of American governance for centuries, and any substantial changes to it would undoubtedly have far-reaching implications.”

You Can’t Teach a Computer Program Ethics and Morals

There are countless articles being written and promoted based on search engine optimization. These fill the internet with many divergent and disparate points of view which feed AI. “Garbage in still equals garbage out.” You can’t teach a computer program ethics and morals.

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