The use of artificial intelligence has also entered the backstage of British political communication. Photographs published in local media show an aide to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham using ChatGPT to refine a speech, an episode that has fueled controversy and irony from the opposition.
The photos that sparked the debate
The images, first published by the Daily Mail, show a member of the prime minister’s team during a train journey from London to Holyhead on Friday, November 13, while consulting artificial intelligence.
According to the British newspaper, the aide was working on the speech Burnham was due to deliver a day later at the Labour Party conference in Wales, in the city of Llandudno. In one of the prompts sent to ChatGPT, he asked for part of the text to be made “a little more emotional.”
What was being worked on in the text
The section being revised concerned the political legacy of Margaret Thatcher and the impact that the closure of mines, factories and other industries had on British communities during the 1980s.
According to the Daily Mail report, ChatGPT suggested that the emphasis should not be placed only on the loss of jobs, but also on the social damage left behind by the closure of industries. The proposals mentioned included references to workers’ clubs, sports teams, choirs and trade unions as part of community life that fell apart along with the local economy.
Similarities with the speech that was delivered
Similar references were also heard in the speech Burnham delivered on Saturday, in which he criticized the policies of the 1980s and said they destroyed the way of life of many communities in Britain.
He mentioned the closure of mines, factories and steel plants, as well as the loss of social structures that once kept local communities connected. However, other reports in the British media claim that ChatGPT’s suggestions did not make it into the final version of the speech.
Opposition mocks, Downing Street plays it down
The disclosure of such episodes has given the opposition an easy chance to attack the government. Lee Anderson of Reform UK mocked the use of artificial intelligence, linking the case to what he portrayed as a lack of a plan for the cost-of-living crisis.
On the other hand, the official version from Downing Street tried to downplay the weight of the issue. A spokesperson said that the prime minister writes most speeches himself and that in this case the aide had sought only comments on a text prepared earlier.
The broader debate over AI in politics
The episode comes at a sensitive moment for Burnham, who is facing opposition within the Labour Party over proposed changes to the social welfare system.
Beyond the specific episode, the case has reopened the debate over how far artificial intelligence can be used in shaping political messages and how transparent that process should be for the public.
The case has highlighted not only the growing reliance on AI tools, but also the way technology is entering political communication without a clear standard of accountability.
In a tense political climate, even such a behind-the-scenes intervention is enough to raise questions about the authenticity of the messages being presented to citizens.