Leaf Blower at City Hall. Illustration: DALL-E 2

I Used ChatGPT to Emulate Our City Council

Will AI someday be used to emulate/streamline local government? I conducted an experiment to find out.

Experiment #1:

“Test Ability of ChatGPT to Draft a Law on Leaf Blowers in Rye NY”

Objective:

Make the case for/against, leaf blowers then draft a law that strikes a reasonable compromise.

Method:

1. Ask ChatGPT to make the case for leaf blowers
2. Ask ChatGPT to make the case against leaf blowers
3. Compare ChatGPT responses to actual public discourse in Rye New York
4. Ask ChatGPT to draft a law that strikes a balance
5. Compare ChatGPT’s law with the actual law that was passed by our City Council this month.

Results:

1. ChatGPTs case for leaf blowers closely matched the arguments made in public hearings.
2. ChatGPTs case against leaf blowers closely matched the arguments made in public hearings.
3. The content of ChatGPTs leaf blower law was a reasonable match to the law that our City Council passed this year.

Conclusion:

ChatGPT did a good job taking into account both sides of a divisive issue. ChatGPT drafted legislation that struck a reasonable balance, and matched aspects of the law that was passed by the Rye City Council this month.

Leaf Blower Headlines (Source: RyeRecord.com)

This Process outlined by ChatGPT Resembles the Process Used in Rye NY