Top sci-fi con gets an earful from authors after using AI to screen panelists

HELLFIRE

https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/07/worldcon_uses_ai/

… The kerfuffle started on April 30, when Kathy Bond, the chair of this summer’s World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon) in Seattle, USA, published a statement addressing the usage of AI software to review the qualifications of more than 1,300 potential panelists. Volunteers entered the applicants’ names into a ChatGPT prompt directing the chatbot to gather background information about that person, as an alternative to potentially time-consuming search engine queries. … Con organizers are now re-vetting all invited panellists without AI assistance.

Thought AI was supposed to save effort and money, but REALLY?!?!

Regards

Somewhat-Reticent

Bad Idea, even as a publicity stunt. Even volunteer chair’s apology …

px_eliezer_

You gotta admit there is an irony to it.

I can’t imagine how AI would be coherent for this task.

Spider Robinson, superb Canadian-American science fiction writer who now lives in B.C., would be an excellent fellow for the Worldcon if it is to be held in Seattle.

urbanriot

px_eliezer_

I can’t imagine how AI would be coherent for this task.

There are times when you engage AI engines that complete a number of tasks for you better than you expected, that the AI lulls you into thinking it’s amazing and can do anything so you assign it tasks with confidence only to have it entirely let you down with a basic task.

Not so long ago I had CoPilot and ChatGPT create PowerShell scripts that utterly destroyed some virtual sandboxes I was working with after they created some really useful, really robust scripts.