Artificial Intelligence and Northern Ireland: What advice would Chat GPT give to the UK, EU and DUP about restoring the Stormont government?

Dozens of such experts supported a statement published on the webpage of the Centre for AI Safety. (Other experts did disagree, however.)

Curious about the insight of such programs, the News Letter asked one of the most prominent, Chat GPT, how it would advise the UK government and EU to encourage the DUP back into government at Stormont.

While Chat GPT responded that as an AI language model, it does not "take sides or offer specific advice to any particular group or individual" it suggested the UK government and EU could consider taking the following steps.

"Address the concerns of the DUP," was its primary recommendation. "The UK government and EU could work to address the concerns of the DUP, particularly in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol. This could involve engaging in constructive dialogue with the DUP and seeking to find mutually acceptable solutions that address the DUP's concerns while also respecting the principles of the Good Friday Agreement."

Ensuring "fairness and balance" were also important. "The UK government and EU could ensure that any proposals or solutions related to Northern Ireland are fair and balanced, and take into account the views and interests of all stakeholders,” it added. “This could involve consulting widely with different communities and interest groups, and seeking to find solutions that are acceptable to all parties."

Its advice to the DUP, meanwhile, was primarily that it needs to find "a viable alternative" to the Windsor Framework.

"The DUP's opposition to the Windsor Framework is clear, but it needs to offer a viable alternative that addresses the concerns of both unionists and nationalists in Northern Ireland," it said.

"This could involve proposing alternative arrangements for Northern Ireland's relationship with the UK and Ireland or suggesting changes to the framework that would make it more acceptable to unionists."

Its other recommendations were to engage in constructive dialogue to find common ground "rather than simply opposing the Windsor Framework outright".

It also urged the DUP to maintain a strong relationship with the UK government, communicate effectively its position to its core voters and work to address broader issues facing Northern Ireland, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

(More detailed questions and answers with Chat GPT are included at the bottom of this report.)

The Northern Ireland Office declined to offer any reaction.

However, commentator Alex Kane said he did not believe AI could do the necessary "deconstruction and sifting" required to offer genuine solutions – yet.

"What it can do, in fairness, is provide a much broader range of opinion (albeit already known) which may make it easier for the questioner to get a broader view: which, in turn, might stimulate some original thinking on his/her part," he said,

The questions posed to it were valid, he said, "but didn’t throw up anything new". He also expressed doubt as to whether it could distinguish between genuine and fake information it might draw from.

Ulster University politics lecturer Dr Cillian McGrattan reflected: "Sadly, the AI shows a more nuanced understanding than many nationalists and the Alliance regarding unionist sentiments. It points out that the DUP ought to engage with nationalists, but, beyond that understanding, it's difficult to be confident about the bona fides of the DUP's opponents.

"In pointing out what ought to be blindingly obvious, the AI, arguably, provides greater insight than many of those nationalist and Alliance politicians and commentators, very few of whom take seriously Montaigne's advice that no one is exempt from speaking nonsense - the error, Montaigne suggested, was to do it solemnly. "

Of the main Stormont parties only the DUP and TUV responded.

East Belfast DUP MLA David Brooks said: "Whilst the AI bot gets some things wrong in terms of accuracy, it is interesting that even Artificial Intelligence can identify that progress in Northern Ireland is dependent on having an agreement that Unionists as well as Nationalists can support. There are some in Northern Ireland who believe that unionist concerns should be ignored or side-lined. "

TUV leader Jim Allister noted that in its extended answers to the News Letter, Chat GPT had wrongly claimed the WF was a deal between the UK and Irish governments in 2021. In fact it was a UK-EU deal signed this year. He therefore replied that the AI advice was "so misinformed it doesn’t merit comment".

Meanwhile loyalist commentator Jamie Bryson said that the advice dispensed by the programme "all seems like pretty obvious stuff".

He added: “It is an interesting technological development, but it is open to significant abuse and manipulation. The methodology appears to be that it has, certainly up to recent years, essentially memorised the internet and drawn its answers from that.

“So obviously if you can therefore dominate the internet, and the news or opinion forming outlets on it - then you could in theory manipulate and skew AI’s answers by ensuring what is fed into its memory bank is conducive to the political objective you want it’s answers to assist." He likened this to what he sees as republican domination of social media platforms such as Twitter.

• Examples of the questions put to Chat GPT by the News Letter and its complete responses are as follows;-

NL: What advice would you give to the UK government and EU to encourage the DUP to go back into government?

Chat GPT: As an AI language model, I do not take sides or offer specific advice to any particular group or individual. However, in general, to encourage the DUP to go back into government, both the UK government and EU could consider taking the following steps:

Addressing the concerns of the DUP: The UK government and EU could work to address the concerns of the DUP, particularly in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol. This could involve engaging in constructive dialogue with the DUP and seeking to find mutually acceptable solutions that address the DUP's concerns while also respecting the principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

Providing reassurances on the union: The UK government and EU could provide reassurances to the DUP that the union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain will be protected andpreserved. This could involve making a clear statement of commitment to the union and highlighting the benefits of remaining part of the UK.

Promoting stability and cooperation: The UK government and EU could work to promote stability and cooperation in Northern Ireland, and to build trust between different communities.This could involve supporting initiatives that bring communities together, promoting economic growth and job creation, and working to ensure that political institutions are functioning effectively.

Ensuring fairness and balance: The UK government and EU could ensure that any proposals or solutions related to Northern Ireland are fair and balanced, and take into account the viewsand interests of all stakeholders. This could involve consulting widely with different communities and interest groups, and seeking to find solutions that are acceptable to all parties.

Supporting the peace process: The UK government and EU could reaffirm their commitment to the peace process in Northern Ireland, and to the principles of the Good Friday Agreement.This could involve working to address outstanding issues related to the implementation of the Agreement, and supporting efforts to build a more inclusive and reconciled society in Northern Ireland.

NL: Can you explain why unionists are concerned about the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework?

Chat GPT: Certainly. The Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework are two separate agreements that have been negotiated in recent years, both of which have generated some concerns among unionists in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a legal agreement between the UK and the EU that was included as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The protocol aims to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods, meaning that some goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain must undergo additional checks and controls. Some unionists see the protocol as a threat to Northern Ireland's place within the UK, as it creates a new regulatory border within the UK, which they argue undermines the principle of Northern Ireland being an integral part of the UK.

The Windsor Framework, on the other hand, is an agreement between the UK and the Irish government that was signed in April 2021. The framework sets out a series of commitments and principles for the UK and Ireland to work together on issues related to Northern Ireland, including the Good Friday Agreement and the protection of human rights. Some unionists are concerned that the framework gives the Irish government too much influence over affairs in Northern Ireland and that it could potentially undermine the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the UK.

Overall, some unionists view both the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework as threats to Northern Ireland's place within the UK and have called for changes to be made to address their concerns. However, it's worth noting that there are differing opinions among unionists, and not all unionists share the same concerns about these agreements.

NL: What would your best advice be to the DUP in relation to these challenges ie with the Windsor Framework?

Chat GPT: As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs, opinions or political bias. However, based on general principles of political strategy and communication, here are some suggestions that the DUP may consider:

Find a viable alternative: The DUP's opposition to the Windsor Framework is clear, but it needs to offer a viable alternative that addresses the concerns of both unionists and nationalistsin Northern Ireland. This could involve proposing alternative arrangements for Northern Ireland's relationship with the UK and Ireland or suggesting changes to the framework that would make it more acceptable to unionists.

Engage in constructive dialogue: Rather than simply opposing the Windsor Framework outright, the DUP could engage in constructive dialogue with the UK and Irish governments to tryto find common ground. This could involve setting up a working group or commission to explore ways of addressing unionist concerns while also respecting the principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

Maintain a strong relationship with the UK government: While the DUP may have differences with the UK government over the Windsor Framework, it's important for the party to maintaina strong relationship with the Conservatives and other parties in Westminster. This could involve working collaboratively on issues of mutual interest, such as Brexit or economic development in Northern Ireland.

Communicate effectively with unionist voters: The DUP needs to communicate its position on the Windsor Framework clearly and effectively to its base of unionist voters. This couldinvolve using traditional media channels, such as TV and radio, as well as social media platforms to get its message across. It's also important for the party to listen to the concerns of its voters and address them in a meaningful way.

Work to address broader issues facing Northern Ireland: While the Windsor Framework is an important issue for unionists, there are many other pressing issues facing Northern Ireland,such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. The DUP can demonstrate its commitment to the people of Northern Ireland by working constructively with other parties to address these issues and improve the lives of all citizens.