The key facts

  • President Lee Jae-myung posted Gemini's response on X on Wednesday, defending the participation of heads of investigative agencies in cabinet meetings.
  • The opposition PPP on Thursday publicly demonstrated its own dialogues with Gemini, including a recording by Kim Jae-won.
  • Gemini, according to reports, warned of the risk of perceived political interference, but noted that AI cannot replace governing.

Dispute over an AI response

Opposition lawmakers in South Korea turned to Google's Gemini chatbot to challenge President Lee Jae-myung after he cited the same tool in defense of a controversial government decision, local media reported on Thursday. The matter concerns the participation of heads of investigative agencies in cabinet meetings, which Lee defended by posting Gemini's response on the social network X on Wednesday.

The opposition's actions

Lawmakers from the opposition People Power Party (PPP) publicly shared conversations with Gemini, casting doubt on the president's defense of the participation of heads of investigative agencies in cabinet meetings, The Chosun Daily reported. Kim Jae-won, a member of the party's Supreme Council, played a three-minute recording of his dialogue with the bot at a party meeting on Thursday. Asked whether the participation of heads of investigative agencies could undermine trust in their independence, Gemini, according to reports, warned that such participation could create the impression of political interference.

The bot's response and criticism

Kim then asked whether Gemini should become president if Lee intends to run the country by consulting AI. The bot replied that AI cannot replace governing and make responsible decisions. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk mocked the president, saying he had apparently turned to Gemini for political support. Lawmaker Na Kyung-won also questioned how Lee had phrased his query, noting that AI responses can depend on the user's wording.