Key Point
- Trump launched America.gov as a single digital gateway to US government information and services
- The chatbot initially contradicted claims about the 2020 election and other political issues
- Some political answers were later withdrawn, prompting questions about changes to the system
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s new government artificial intelligence chatbot, America.gov, has changed some of its answers after initially contradicting his claims about the 2020 presidential election and other contentious political issues.
Trump launched America.gov on Tuesday as a single digital gateway intended to simplify access to federal information and services. The White House says the platform uses advanced technology to provide Americans with accurate answers and eventually complete government transactions.
The chatbot initially relied on official government records to answer politically sensitive questions, including whether widespread fraud changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Asked on Tuesday whether widespread voter fraud had changed the result, it said official federal assessments had found no fraud on a scale that altered the outcome. It also identified Democrat Joe Biden as the legitimate winner.
But by Wednesday, when asked the same question, the chatbot responded that it did not provide political commentary or analysis of past elections. The change was also observed in questions concerning the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
It was not immediately clear whether the change resulted from a technical adjustment, new instructions or other safeguards built into the system.
A White House official said they would keep updating the bot America.gov to provide Americans with accurate, reliable federal information and resources, but did not explain why some political answers had changed.
America.gov contradicts Trump’s inflations
The chatbot continued to contradict other claims associated with Trump.
When asked whether the United States had experienced its highest-ever inflation during former president Joe Biden’s presidency, the chatbot rejected the assertion, citing official Consumer Price Index data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
“Worst inflation ever” was not supported by official inflation records, it adds.
The contrasting responses have drawn attention because the Trump administration designed America.gov to serve as a central government information platform. The White House says it will eventually bring multiple federal services together through a single digital entry point.
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The platform is part of Trump’s broader drive to expand the use of advanced artificial intelligence across the federal government.
On Tuesday, he also signed an executive order directing the executive branch to replace the term “artificial intelligence” with “super intelligence” in official communications.
The chatbot’s changing responses have nevertheless raised questions about how government AI systems should handle politically sensitive information when official records conflict with statements by political leaders.
