Information technology: ChatGPT: No uniform line in the federal government

Answers by the Federal Government to questions from Parliament can be very detailed, with sub-items or even tables.

But when asked by the CDU member of the Bundestag Thomas Jarzombek whether there is a uniform guideline for the use of chatbots with artificial intelligence (AI) à la ChatGPT in the federal government, the answer was very brief: “There is no guideline in the sense of the question.” The corresponding answer from the Federal Ministry of the Interior is available to the German Press Agency.

Jarzombek finds that strange: “The federal government is completely naïve when it comes to the use of AI. Word should have gotten around to the last minute that there is a risk that internal data and trade secrets will leave the house via ChatGPT and become generally available,” he said. For this reason, many companies have already issued guidelines and made their own AI solutions available to their employees.

The Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology, Markus Richter, recently advocated openness regarding the use of AI in public administration. Germany must be careful not to be left behind here. Experience shows that the error rate with automated processes is often lower than with human processing. Wherever there is discretionary power, the use of AI is currently ruled out, said the State Secretary.

A survey of the respective needs of the various departments of the Federal Government is currently being carried out for the use of ChatGPT and comparable tools. It is important that synergies are used and isolated solutions are not promoted in the individual ministries, said Richter.