Labour MPs have been accused of using artificial intelligence to write their parliamentary speeches by a Conservative former minister.
Tom Tugendhat said members on the opposite benches were clearly using the chatbot, because their contributions included phrases such as “I rise to speak”.
Speaking in the Commons, the Tonbridge MP said: “On the other side, all we’re hearing is the ChatGPT generated press releases.
“I rise to speak. I rise to speak. I rise to speak. ChatGPT knows you’re there, but that is an Americanism that we don’t use, but still, keep using it, because it makes it clear that this place has become absurd.”
Mr Tugendhat also joked that Labour backbenchers would have to wait a while to be rewarded for their flattering speeches of the Government’s actions, following the recent reshuffle.
He said: “So many honourable gentleman from the benches opposite seem to have forgotten the reshuffle was a couple of days ago. They’re going to have to wait another few months and possibly years for their obsequiousness to be rewarded.”
His comments came during the second reading of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, which focused on the Government’s plans to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
During the debate, Mr Tugendhat said: “This building, this chamber, is a waste of time.
“A complete waste of time, when our electors hear and our fellow citizens hear that actually we have listened to the arguments of Mauritius, we’ve listened to the arguments of China, we’ve listened to the arguments of India and the United States, but we’re not willing to listen to the arguments of Britain.
“We’re not willing to stand up for the interests of the British people. We’re not willing to look at the strategic interests of UK defence.”
