What a needless own goal. I’m not anti-AI. If anything, I worry about people of certain classes or political groups outright rejecting keeping up with it based on ideological reasons and politicians who lean into feeding people’s fears to gain votes by pushing rejection of it rather than helping people and systems adapt, but an AMA is not the time or the place to use it. The whole point is to give people access to something genuine that isn’t canned. Very poor judgment. Rob did not understand the assignment.
It’s good he apologized and realizes the error of his ways, he could work is way back from this one day, but in my eyes, this mistake reeks of laziness and discounts him entirely as a candidate in my eyes.
Ha ha ha. How is that for having contempt for your voters. We have all the wrong people in charge at every level of government and business and organization. The milquetoast ndp is clearly no exception.
What a loser. Back to the rank and file with you Rob
Okay, but controversial opinion? He admitted it, apologized, and said it wouldn’t happen again. It wasn’t good that it happened, but it would be easily worse if he rolled out a “AI is the future, better get used to it” answer, which feels like something politicians are starting to get into.
I’m not gonna say he won my trust with this, but it doesn’t outweigh his working class/union leader bona fides to me (at least not yet)
Despite being concerned artificial intelligence is replacing workers, NDP leadership candidate and union leader Rob Ashton used AI during an online campaign event on Sunday.
He gets lowered on my list.
His response is weak too, throws staff under bus really willingly.
If matters/believed…
Ashton’s team said that he was on the road and he had asked helpers and volunteers to “draft answers” for him to review.
“It looks like some answers were posted without me reviewing and approving,” the post said.
…
“A key part of leadership is accountability, and I want to reassure everyone that this won’t happen again,” the post said.
Throws his staff under the bus and assumes he will get another oppurtunity. Poor PR instincts in my opinion.
Peak 2026 headline
Plot twist, this news article about ndp using ai to respond to questions was written by ai. I am joking obviously but it would not surprise me, half of all websites are computer generated text now, written to hit search engines not provide value.
I read the responses and they were pretty generic to begin with. It was also about 14hrs after the AMA started and he answered only a handful of them.
I imagine with a competence and morality perspective this should knock him out of contention.
