How are New York’s congressional candidates using AI? Debate moderators want to know

There’s a new rapid-fire question rapidly growing in popularity on New York’s debate stages.

Candidates in New York’s 7th, 10th and 12th Congressional Districts have been asked if, and how, they use artificial intelligence in their daily lives during multiple debates this primary season.

A question of that nature is unsurprising in the 12th Congressional District, where super PAC spending linked to industry behemoths OpenAI and Anthropic has cast an AI shadow over nearly every aspect of the race. (City & State has asked the Manhattan congressional candidates about their AI habits for that reason.)

But the fact that questions about AI usage are surfacing on debate stages where spending by the booming industry isn’t as prevalent – like in the Brooklyn-Queens 7th Congressional District and the Manhattan-Brooklyn 10th Congressional District – suggests a bigger, more permanent shift is happening.

During the New York City mayoral race less than a year ago, AI usage by campaigns was so stigmatized as to rise to the level of political scandal. (Though some of that came down to how campaigns used it – like Andrew Cuomo’s housing policy proposal citing ChatGPT as a source.)

That candidates now openly admit to using AI – and in particular chatbots like Claude and  ChatGPT – is a mark of how fast the industry is moving, political consultant Ryan Adams said. “In a year’s time, the adoption has gotten so intense. It’s been injected into everything,” he said. “If you say ‘I don’t use AI,’ you’re lying. Because Google forces you to use AI. Every time you search something, it gives you a shitty summary of it.”

Though even if stigma around AI use in general has dissipated, candidates’ answers are still subject to plenty of judgment. “The stigma that still remains is are you using it for stuff that is good, or are you using it for stuff that is dumb,” Adams said. “I think when people are asking ‘Which LLMs do you use, and what do you use them for?’ it’s secretly asking, ‘Are you doing your own thinking or are you outsourcing it to the robots?’”

Some early trends have emerged in candidates’ answers on debate stages so far this spring. Just like proudly claiming a bagel order or favorite in-district restaurant in other popular rapid-fire debate rounds, candidates can use the question to signify something about their character or alignment, or even get one last jab in at an opponent. Democratic socialist Assembly Member Claire Valdez signaled a wariness about AI, stating during the NY-7 debate she doesn’t use it at all if she can help it. Jack Schlossberg used questions about it in both NY-12 debates to criticize Assembly Member Alex Bores – the target and beneficiary of Open AI-linked and Anthropic-linked spending in the race, respectively.

Most other times, candidates give pretty boring answers, saying they use it often, but in an unspecified way to prepare for the debate. (The equivalent of “plain cream cheese on everything.”)

Here’s how candidates in debates so far this primary cycle have answered the question of how they use AI. 

NY-7 Democratic primary debate on NY1

Question: When was the last time you used an AI chatbot, and what did you ask? 

Council Member Julie Won: I use it pretty frequently, especially because of my tech background, I would say. I used it to summarize some of my notes to prepare me for this debate.

Assembly Member Claire Valdez: I have never intentionally used a chatbot. Unfortunately the fact of the matter is, when you Google anything, you immediately get an AI summary, which you can’t even turn off. But I do not use AI, I prefer to do things the old-fashioned way.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso: I’ve been married 10 years and we did our vow renewals. I needed to put together a list of invitees, and Claude helped me put that together to send out invites.

NY-10 Democratic primary debate on NY1

Question: When was the last time you used an AI chatbot, and what did you ask? 

Rep. Dan Goldman: Yesterday, I would imagine. I have no idea. I do not remember. I use it pretty frequently.

Brad Lander: I used it today to check on one of Rep. Goldman’s votes.

NY-12 Democratic primary debate on PIX11

Question: When was the last time you used AI, and what for?

Assembly Member Micah Lasher: Within the last week, to do some research.

Assembly Member Alex Bores: Earlier today, in gathering prep for this debate.

Jack Schlossberg: I put Mr. Bores’s proposal for AI into AI just to see if it was AI-generated. And the results would interest you.

George Conway: On the taxi ride on the way here, to look up Susan Collins’s vote on impeachment in 2021. 

NY-12 Democratic primary debate on NY1

Question: When was the last time you used an AI chatbot, which one did you use, and what did you ask? 

Assembly Member Alex Bores: I used Claude … Two or three hours ago, and I was researching for this debate.

George Conway: I used Claude sometime today and I just don’t remember what I used it for.

Assembly Member Micah Lasher: This morning, I used Claude, I was looking up some statistics about the housing shortage.

Jack Schlossberg: I ran Mr. Bores’s transcript from the last debate through AI just to see which policies would be favored by Anthropic.

Nina Schwalbe: I used Claude to prepare for the debate.