By CHRISTINE FERNANDO

CHICAGO (AP) — The social media platform X has made a change to its AI chatbot after five secretaries of state warned it was spreading election misinformation.

Top election officials from Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington sent a letter this month to Elon Musk complaining that the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, produced false information about state ballot deadlines shortly after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.

The secretaries of state requested that the chatbot instead direct users who ask election-related questions to CanIVote.org, a voting information website run by the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Before listing responses to election-related questions, the chatbot now says, “For accurate and up-to-date information about the 2024 U.S. Elections, please visit Vote.gov.”

Both websites are “trustworthy resources that can connect voters with their local election officials,” the five secretaries of state said in a shared statement.

“We appreciate X’s action to improve their platform and hope they continue to make improvements that will ensure their users have access to accurate information from trusted sources in this critical election year,” they said.

Grok is available only to subscribers of the premium versions of X. But the five secretaries of state who signed the letter said election misinformation from Grok has been shared across multiple social media platforms, reaching millions of people. Grok continued to repeat the false information for 10 days before it was corrected, the secretaries said. The platform did not respond to a request for comment.

The change promoting a link to an official voting website does not seem to address Grok’s ability to create misleading AI-generated images related to elections. People have been using the tool to flood the platform with fake images of candidates, including Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Grok debuted last year for X premium and premium plus subscribers and was touted by Musk as a “rebellious” AI chatbot that will answer “spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems.”

Social media platforms have faced mounting scrutiny for their role in spreading misinformation, including about elections. The letter also warned that inaccuracies are to be expected for AI products, especially chatbots such as Grok that are based on large language models.

Since Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and renamed it to X, watchdog groups have raised concerns over a surge in hate speech and misinformation being amplified on the platform, as well as cuts to the staff that had been moderating content.

Experts say the moves represent a regression from progress made by social media platforms attempting to better combat political disinformation after the 2016 U.S. presidential contest and could precipitate a worsening misinformation landscape ahead of this year’s November elections.

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The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

City Limits rounds up the latest housing and land use-related events, public hearings and affordable housing lotteries that are ending soon.

Welcome to City Limits’ NYC Housing Calendar, a weekly feature where we round up the latest housing and land use-related events and hearings, as well as upcoming affordable housing lotteries that are ending soon.

Know of an event we should include in next week’s calendar? Email us.

Upcoming Housing and Land Use-Related Events:

Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m.: The NYC Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings and Dispositions will meet about several landmark designation applications, including for the Heckscher Building, Beekman Hotel, Frederick Douglass Memorial Park and Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Plaza. More here.

Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 12:30 p.m.: The NYC Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet about the following land use applications: 150 Mill Street Rezoning, 31-17 12th Street Rezoning, 250 86th Street Rezoning. More here.

Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 2 p.m.: State Sen. Brian Kavanagh’s office will host a clinic on how to apply for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) / Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) at Greenwich House’s Older Adult Center at Our Lady of Pompeii in the West Village. More here.

Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m.: The Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) will host a screening of “Segregated By Design,” a short film exploring the United State’s history of housing discrimination, at the New Amsterdam Library in Manhattan. More here.

Thursday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m.: New York Housing Conference and the Rising Leaders Network will host a virtual seminar on “risk sharing to lower housing financing costs.” More here.

NYC Affordable Housing Lotteries Ending Soon: The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) are closing lotteries on the following subsidized buildings over the next week.

165 Broome Street, Manhattan, for households earning between $18,480 – $154,080

Belmont Daniel LP (Waiting List), Staten Island, for households earning between $33,087 – $192,855

Seaview Estates (Waiting List), Staten Island, for households earning between $34,732 – $231,120

It has been a while since star tight end T.J. Hockenson has talked to reporters. He spoke publicly back on April 15 with the Vikings in the process of starting organized team activities.

As his teammates were readying themselves to get back on the field, Hockenson was still in the early stages of his recovery process as he worked his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He wasn’t exactly sure of a timeline back then. All he knew was that the adversity was going to make him stronger in the long run.

“The dark times make the bright times better,” Hockenson said at the time. “You’ve got to go through it sometimes.”

Though it seems as if Hockenson is getting closer to returning, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Vikings place him on injured reserve in the interim. A new rule in the NFL this year allows teams to place a pair of players on injured reserve with a designation for return during roster cuts.

If the Vikings decide to make use of this new rule, Hockenson still will be required to miss at least a month.

It raises the question: Who steps up in his absence? The answer might surprise even the most diehard fans.

As much as star receiver Justin Jefferson and fellow receiver Jordan Addison will be a focal point of the passing game, veteran tight end Johnny Mundt is somebody worth keeping an eye on. Not only has Mundt seamlessly stepped into Hockenson’s spot, he has flourished in all phases throughout training camp at TCO Performance Center.

Sometimes he’s making a big catch deep downfield. Sometimes he’s laying a nice block in the trenches.

“He’s got such a good feel,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He always seems to be in the right spot doing the right thing with great technique. and those players tend to be favorites of coaches. I think Johnny has been great. There’s a reason why he has been here every day since I’ve got here.”

It’s true. As soon as O’Connell was hired by the Vikings a couple of years ago, he made it a point to go out and sign Mundt. After working together with the Los Angeles Rams, O’Connell knew he wanted Mundt to be a part of what he was trying to build with the Vikings.

The impact has been rather modest across 34 games with the Vikings as Mundt has recorded 36 catches for 312 yards and a pair touchdowns while playing behind Hockenson and fellow tight end Josh Oliver. The production will likely increase now that Mundt is stepping into a larger role in the offense.

“Every time he goes in, he produces,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “He’s where he’s supposed to be. He’s strong through the catch point. He’s hard to get hands on through the route. He just kind of does everything right. He’s a very valuable piece of our offense.”

Minnesota Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt (86) slips a attempted tackle from Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay (50) in the fourth quarter of a football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

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Afton officials are warning residents to stay out of the St. Croix River at Steamboat Park due to a potentially toxic blue-green algae bloom.

Blue-green algae was discovered in Steamboat Park by city officials on Monday morning, and residents — and their pets — are advised to avoid contact with the river until further notice.

Afton officials on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, posted warnings at Steamboat Park about a potentially toxic blue-green algal bloom found in the St. Croix River. (Courtesy of the City of Afton)

“I’ve never seen it like this,” Mayor Bill Palmquist said. “It’s like a bright-green sheen. No person would swim in this, but we want to make sure they keep their pets out, just to be safe.”

Not all blue-green algae blooms produce toxins, but there is no way to predict if or when a bloom will produce toxins. For this reason, it is best to avoid contact and stay out of the water, Palmquist said. “Better safe than sorry,” he said.

Signs have been placed at Steamboat Park to advise people to stay out of the river until it clears, he said.

Harmful blooms of blue-green algae often look like “pea soup or spilled green paint,” and they often have a bad odor, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Any person or pet experiencing adverse health effects due to contact with or ingestion of lake water or algae should seek immediate medical or veterinary attention, according to the PCA.

“Pets, especially dogs, are susceptible to harmful algae because they are relatively small and tend to swallow more water while swimming and playing (e.g., retrieving a ball from the water),” according to the PCA. “Dogs may ingest algae if they lick their coats after leaving the water. They are also less deterred by green, smelly water that may contain harmful algae.”

In order to reduce your animal’s exposure to blue-green algae, do not let them swim or drink where there is noticeable algae in the water or scum on the shore. Any pet that swims in water that could have harmful algae should be rinsed off with fresh water immediately, according to the PCA, and should not be allowed to lick their fur, PCA officials said.

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