California state Senator Scott Wiener has taken down a campaign website and AI chatbot launched to mock his opponent Connie Chan after facing widespread criticism.
Wiener, a Democrat hoping to replace Representative Nancy Pelosi in Congress, admitted that the tone-deaf attack on District 1 Supervisor Chan had missed the mark.
Wiener launched the chatbot last Monday at the web address ConnieChan.ai and promoted the site through multiple billboards. The chatbot referred to itself as "the world's first AI trained to say no to anything you ask," SF Gate reported.
Just five days after its launch, Wiener backtracked and announced on Friday that his campaign was taking down the tool. "Today, we are taking down the chatbot, and the billboards that promoted it will come down soon," Wiener announced. He said the chatbot was intended as a parody highlighting Chan's record on housing, public transit, and other issues.
In a statement to the Daily Mail on Sunday, Wiener's team acknowledged the backlash over their strategy. "The conversation became about the tactic instead of the issues that actually matter to San Franciscans - housing and health care they can afford, transit that works, schools that serve every kid, and a downtown that comes back stronger," his team said.
Allegations of Bias and Candidate Defense
Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, said the chatbot displayed racist and sexist undertones. She alleged that the bot did not directly respond to questions regarding her accent, citizenship, and whether or not she was from China. The Daily Mail was unable to independently verify these claims because the website is currently undergoing maintenance.
Wiener's team disputed Chan's accusations regarding the bot's behavior. They alleged that the indirect responses stemmed from safeguarding features put in place "to prevent any inappropriate answers." Wiener noted his team intended to engage voters in an innovative way, but acknowledged the chatbot may not have been the best method.
"Throughout my career, I've never been afraid to push the envelope, which means taking risks, sometimes succeeding, and sometimes missing the mark," Wiener said in a statement. "That's how we've delivered first-in-the-nation laws on housing, paid parental leave, mental health care, and AI safety: by taking on tough fights and refusing to accept the status quo."
Wiener added that the chatbot was an attempt to reach voters in a new, innovative, and engaging way compared to a traditional static website. "But our use of an AI chatbot clearly missed the mark," Wiener said. "The conversation became about the tactic instead of the issues that actually matter to San Franciscans - housing and health care they can afford, transit that works, schools that serve every kid, and a downtown that comes back stronger. The focus must remain on those critical issues, so we're taking the chatbot and billboards down."
Democrat Leaders Condemn the Tool
The chatbot drew fierce opposition from Pelosi and several other congressional members and Democratic leaders, who branded it "racist and sexist" and "a gross misuse of technology." In a joint statement, Pelosi and her allies condemned the campaign tool.
"Women have spent generations fighting to have our own voices heard in the halls of power," Pelosi and her allies said in the joint statement. "We should not have to now fight against artificial intelligence putting words in our mouths." The group accused Wiener's campaign of "using AI to fabricate a woman's voice for ridicule or attack" and said the move reflected a "disturbing willingness to erase women's agency and reinforce the sexist tropes that have long been used to undermine women in public life."
A spokesperson for Chan criticized Wiener in a statement to KRON. "Wiener can rightly take down his bigotry bot, but he can't erase the concerns it raised among San Franciscans about his character and judgment," the spokesperson said.
"San Franciscans deserve better than a campaign funded by Big AI weaponizing the technology to mock an immigrant woman of color, doubling down after justified outrage, then reversing course and shrugging it off as simply 'missing the mark,'" the spokesperson added. "Connie Chan will keep her campaign focused on fighting for working families, affordable housing, reliable transit, and responsible AI - without turning San Francisco voters into a political experiment."
Prior to the controversy, candidates including state Senator Wiener and Supervisor Chan appeared alongside Saikat Chakrabarti during a San Francisco Congressional District 11 Candidate Forum in January.
Wiener has since apologized to anyone who was "offended" by the chatbot, while thanking supporters who "loved" it. "I heard from many people who loved the idea, and I appreciate their support," Wiener said. "But many others were offended, and I apologize for causing that offense." He added that during the final stretch of his campaign, he will focus on issues, candidate records, and the future of San Francisco. The Daily Mail has approached Chan and Pelosi for comment.
