Video of New Brunswick politician’s apparent AI use goes viral

A New Brunswick politician has become the subject of viral attention after delivering a speech in the provincial legislature that contained passages strongly resembling artificial intelligence-generated text. Bill Oliver, a Progressive Conservative MLA, delivered the speech on June 9.

During his address, Oliver paused at several points to read what appeared to be AI-generated prompts. In one instance, he introduced a section by saying, "here’s a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points." This statement, along with other unusual phrasing, has led to widespread speculation about the use of AI in his remarks.

Oliver has not responded to requests for comment regarding the speech. The incident gained traction online, with videos circulating widely.

Jon Gillham, founder of the AI detection company Originality.ai, commented on the phenomenon. He explained that the video's virality stems from Oliver's apparent reading of "residue" characteristic of large language model AI programs. Gillham noted that these "residue" words are often disconnected from the rest of the speech, a common trait observed in interactions with AI chatbots like ChatGPT.

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here’s a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points.