When AI Hallucinations Lead to Policy Errors: Alaska’s Use of Misleading Statistics
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The interplay between artificial intelligence and policy formulation can lead to unexpected outcomes, a reality highlighted by recent events in Alaska.
In a surprising situation, state legislators in Alaska reportedly relied on AI-generated references that were incorrect to support a proposed ban on cellphones in schools. According to The Alaska Beacon, the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) submitted a draft policy that included citations to academic research that, in fact, did not exist.
This predicament began when Alaska’s Education Commissioner, Deena Bishop, utilized generative AI to create the cellphone policy. The AI-produced document featured alleged academic citations that were neither accurate nor verified, and it failed to indicate the use of AI in its creation. Some of the content generated by the AI reached the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development prior to any thorough review, which could have swayed board discussions.
Commissioner Bishop subsequently stated that AI was utilized solely to “create citations” for an initial draft and maintained that she rectified the mistakes prior to the meeting by providing updated citations to board members. Nonetheless, AI “hallucinations”—the creation of fictitious information by AI when it tries to generate plausible but unverified content—were still evident in the final document that the board voted on.
The ultimate resolution, which can be found on DEED’s website, instructs the department to develop a model policy concerning cellphone restrictions in educational institutions. Regrettably, the document featured six citations, four of which appeared to be from reputable scientific journals. However, these references were entirely fabricated, featuring URLs that led to irrelevant content. This incident highlights the dangers of relying on AI-generated information without adequate human oversight, particularly when it comes to making policy decisions.
Alaska’s situation is not isolated. Incidents of AI hallucinations are becoming more prevalent across various professional fields. For instance, some legal practitioners have faced repercussions for relying on AI-generated, non-existent case citations in court proceedings. Likewise, academic works crafted using AI have contained erroneous data and bogus sources, raising serious issues regarding credibility. Without proper regulation, generative AI algorithms, designed to generate content based on patterns rather than factual accuracy, can easily create misleading citations.
The dependency on AI-generated information in policy formulation, especially in the realm of education, poses considerable risks. When policies are formed based on false information, they can lead to misallocation of resources and potentially be detrimental to students. For example, a policy aimed at limiting cellphone use that is grounded in fabricated information may distract from more effective, evidence-based strategies that could genuinely support students.
Moreover, relying on unverified AI information can diminish public confidence in the policymaking process and in AI technology itself. These occurrences highlight the necessity of verifying facts, maintaining transparency, and exercising prudence when employing AI in crucial decision-making areas, particularly in education, where the effects on students can be significant.
Officials in Alaska sought to minimize the issue, describing the inaccurate citations as “placeholders” meant for future correction. Nonetheless, the document containing the “placeholders” was still presented to the board and served as the foundation for a voting decision, reinforcing the need for stringent oversight in the use of AI.
(Credit by Hartono Creative Studio)
Additional reading: Anthropic urges AI regulation to avoid catastrophes
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Tags: ai, law, policy, research
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