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NDP leadership candidate apologizes for using AI to respond to Reddit questions
NDP leadership candidate Rob Ashton apologized Tuesday for using AI to respond to constituents on social media platform Reddit, saying it was due to an “overwhelming number of questions.”
Ashton announced on X that he would be answering questions with his campaign team about his “vision for the NDP, building the movement,” and why he’s running on Reddit, in what is referred as an “Ask Me Anything” or AMA, on Jan. 11.
In a post on the NDP’s Reddit page , Ashton received questions about climate change, his French-language skills, fossil fuels and employment, among other topics. He appeared to respond via his Reddit account under the username Rob-Ashton-NDP.
However, the next day, a Reddit user pointed out that some of the responses “were clearly written by AI.”
“As someone whose job opportunities have been effected by AI directly, this is honestly really disappointing, especially from a candidate who has been vocally opposed to AI,” the user wrote.
Ashton wrote an apology in response to that post.
“The AMA got an overwhelming number of questions, which warmed my heart,” he said, adding that it was a “privilege to be able to hear from members on such important questions.”
He said he was “on the road” and didn’t want people to “wait too long for an answer.” He asked his team and volunteers to draft answers for him to review.
“And it looks like some answers were posted without me reviewing and approving. Some of those answers were written with the help of AI tools and I’m deeply sorry about that.”
He added: “A key part of leadership is accountability, and I want to reassure everyone that this won’t happen again. I will delete and answer those questions in the next few days.”
During the AMA, Ashton touched upon his AI policy when a Reddit user asked how he would “fight against” the “increasing prevalence of AI in our society.”
Ashton said that “AI is being used to replace workers, exploit artists and creators, spread misinformation, and undermine democracy — all in the interest of corporate profit. That’s not acceptable.”
He said there’s a need for “strong regulation” and accountability.
Ashton is a longshore worker and the president of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada.
He is facing off against Heather McPherson, Tony McQuail, Avi Lewis and Tanille Johnston in the NDP leadership race.
In a separate AMA by McQuail on Monday, a user asked him the same question about AI that Ashton was asked about. The user mentioned in the post to McQuail that Ashton’s responses, to that question and others, were “generated by AI.”
The user asked McQuail how he felt about “AI being used by politicians for interviews and other interactions with the public.”
“As far as I know, our campaign does not make any use of AI, nor would using it be considered an acceptable thing to do on Team Tony,” said McQuail. “It is Tony McQuail, a human being, who is typing the answers to these questions, which are then edited by my campaign manager, Keith, who is also human.”
He said he goes directly to documents when he does Google searches, not to the AI summary. “We also have someone to take notes at our Team Tony meetings,” he said. “We are a frugal, people-powered, grassroots campaign of human volunteers.”
A spokesperson for Lewis’s campaign told CBC News in an email that staff “are ultimately responsible for producing all our written content.” The spokesperson added that next week his team will be releasing a policy plan on jobs and AI.
Meanwhile, Johnston posted about her stance on AI in a news release in November . She is pushing for strong health and environmental rules for AI data centres. She said tech giants, especially ones in the U.S., should be taxed on the “the profits they make off of Canada and Canadians,” and that the money should be reinvested into “our people, workers, and climate protection.”
She added that AI should assist workers, not replace them. “That means working with unions to minimize job loss while ensuring we keep up with the times,” she said.
In August, McPherson posted on social media to say that AI could “empower Indigenous communities.”
“Meaningful inclusion, data sovereignty, and culturally grounded innovation are key to ensuring success,” she said.
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