Donald Trump's New Government AI Chatbot Has Awkward Habit of Debunking the President's Own False Claims

A new US government chatbot provided answers that contradicted several claims made by President Donald Trump when it launched on 29 September. Within hours, however, the America.gov platform began declining to answer some political questions, including queries about the 2020 election.

The site was developed by the White House's National Design Studio and is operated by the General Services Administration. It is intended to serve as a central entry point for federal information and services.

The chatbot uses information drawn from thousands of official government websites. Google has confirmed its Gemini technology is involved, while Elon Musk's Grok has also been identified as one of the systems powering the service.

Chatbot Cites Official Records vs 2020 Election Claim

Asked who won the 2020 presidential election, the chatbot said Joe Biden won 306 Electoral College votes, citing records from the Federal Election Commission and National Archives. It also said federal assessments found no evidence of widespread fraud that changed the outcome of the election. The response contradicted Trump's repeated claims that he won the election.

The chatbot also challenged other statements attributed to Trump. On household wealth, it referred to a Federal Reserve report showing 73 per cent of adults saying they were 'doing okay' or 'living comfortably,' a figure it said had remained broadly unchanged in recent years.

'Worst Inflation Ever'

On inflation, the chatbot cited Bureau of Labor Statistics data and said the figures did not support Trump's description of inflation during Joe Biden's presidency as the 'worst inflation ever.' It also said Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration had the largest attendance on record, rather than Trump's 2017 inauguration.

Asked about Trump's claim that offshore wind turbines make whales 'loco,' the chatbot said federal science agencies had found no such evidence. It also identified the Pentagon as the headquarters of the Department of Defense and said other presidents had declined their salaries.

America.gov Stops Answering Some Political Questions

The chatbot's responses changed while Trump was speaking at the launch alongside technology executives. It began declining some political questions, saying it did not provide political commentary or analysis.

By 30 September, questions about election fraud were receiving similar responses, although the chatbot continued answering some other factual questions, including those about inflation. Axios reported that the system had provided inconsistent answers on politically sensitive issues. The change drew attention from digital rights groups and other observers, who questioned whether adjustments to the system's instructions or safeguards had altered its behaviour.

The precise reason for the change has not been publicly established. Axios reported that unseen instructions and system configuration could affect the answers, while noting that the General Services Administration had not fully explained the safeguards involved.

Unusual Easter Egg

Critics have raised concerns about the platform's handling of political questions. They said altering the system to match administration narratives could undermine transparency and set a precedent for official platforms to be manipulated.

The chatbot also contains an unusual Easter egg. Typing 'play Minecraft' produces a government-themed rewrite of Minecraft's End Poem. The feature was found in the site's code, although it was unclear who added it.