The Japan Times - Does White House ask AI to shape policy? Democrats want the receipts

In a letter dated Wednesday and first obtained by Politico, congressmen Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia said questions submitted by Trump and White House aides -- and the chatbots' answers -- constituted presidential records that must be preserved under federal law.

They requested a closed-door briefing by November 11 covering the president's use of AI, security safeguards and whether outside companies could access sensitive conversations.

"If the American President is relying on the policy advice of a Musk-designed, Hitler-friendly chatbot with a predilection for child pornography in order to carry out his official duties, Americans have a right to know," they wrote.

The language alludes to past controversies over Grok generating antisemitic statements and sexualized images of children.

The letter follows reports that Trump spent hours using Grok during a December 2025 Oval Office meeting with Musk, including asking how Venezuelans might react if US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro.

Grok reportedly said many would welcome Maduro's downfall. US forces seized him weeks later, but no evidence has emerged that the chatbot determined the operation.

The lawmakers questioned Trump's reported reliance on a privately controlled chatbot in matters of foreign policy, warning that AI-generated answers could be inaccurate or manipulated.

They cited reporting about an AI-assisted intelligence error involving a Chinese vessel, and allegations that excessive reliance on artificial intelligence contributed to a US strike on an Iranian school that killed more than 100 children.

"If the United States military killed dozens of innocent schoolchildren based on the faulty advice of an AI chatbot, we have a right to know that too," the lawmakers added.

Neither episode establishes a role for Grok in those military decisions.

They also sought details about restrictions on submitting classified information, the handling of chatbot records and any third-party access to them.

Their request extends to other chatbots, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini.

A White House official told AFP the administration preserves all required records in accordance with the law.

K.Yamaguchi--JT