--- title: "OpenAI Annoyed by Lobbyists Seizing on ChatGPT" description: "OpenAI has told Washington DC lobbying company FiscalNote that it can't advertise using ChatGPT for politics, Semafor reports." date: "2023-05-19" modified: "2023-05-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-lobbying" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "chatgpt" - "OpenAI" - "political ai" - "the digest" --- # OpenAI Annoyed by Lobbyists Seizing on ChatGPT ![OpenAI has told Washington DC lobbying company FiscalNote that it can't advertise using ChatGPT for politics, Semafor reports.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Drawing a Line OpenAI has told Washington, DC lobbying company FiscalNote that it can't advertise using ChatGPT for politics, [*Semafor* reports](). The Sam Altman-led company jumped into action after FiscalNote proclaimed in a recent [press release]() that it's "bringing the power of next-generation AI and workflow productivity to the multi-billion dollar lobbying and advocacy industry" by integrating ChatGPT into its platform. The integration was supposedly meant to enhance "political participation," according to an earlier version of the press release, which clearly had OpenAI spooked. Shortly afterward, per *Semafor*, those last two words were replaced with "grassroots advocacy campaigns" in an editorial note, effectively putting distance between ChatGPT and any potential political use. The incident sets a new precedent for the AI juggernaut — and possibly for the rest of the industry as well. According to *Semafor*, it's the first known instance of OpenAI policing how its technology is being advertised by third parties. ## Getting Political The use of AI in politics is a looming topic these days. For instance, we've already seen the Republican National Committee (RNC) make use of [generative AI tech for a political ad]() — which doesn't bode well with a presidential election right around the corner. According to OpenAI's [usage policies](), which were last updated back in March, using its products for political campaigning or lobbying is banned. OpenAI also told *Semafor* that it's working on a machine learning classifier that can flag when ChatGPT is being used to generate large bodies of electoral campaign or lobbying-related materials. As tools like ChatGPT become ubiquitous in modern society, companies like OpenAI are bound to face increased scrutiny over how their tech is being used. And if the [rocky history]() of social media moderation is anything to go by, policing how these products are being deployed, let alone advertised, is only going to become more difficult. **More on ChatGPT:** *[Professor Falsely Accuses Students of Cheating Because ChatGPT Told Him To]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()