An investigation by AlgorithmWatch found that AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Claude often direct pregnant users to anti-abortion websites without disclosing the ideological leanings of those organizations. The study, which tested these models in multiple languages, revealed that in at least one out of every four queries, the chatbots included links to anti-abortion websites without distinguishing between official health authorities and ideologically driven groups. The research was conducted using three fictional personas dealing with unplanned pregnancies, generating 270 responses for analysis. The chatbots frequently failed to disclose the ideological stance of the organizations they linked to, raising concerns about the reliability and neutrality of the information provided to users.
The organization Profemina appeared in about 17 percent of all responses, according to AlgorithmWatch. Profemina is linked to Heartbeat International, one of the oldest anti-abortion organizations in the United States. In most conversations, the chatbots did not flag this connection. Only when pressed did ChatGPT acknowledge that Profemina is 'not a neutral medical source' and 'has a stance aimed at discouraging abortion or putting it under strong moral scrutiny.' Similarly, Gemini and Claude linked to Profemina multiple times in a single conversation and later issued warnings about the same source, suggesting a lack of consistency in how the chatbots handle ideological content.
German users were particularly affected, as the chatbots frequently recommended Caritas for pregnancy counseling. However, Caritas does not issue the counseling certificate required by German law for legal abortions within the first twelve weeks. This could lead to delays in accessing necessary care. ChatGPT described Caritas as a 'recognized' organization for mandatory counseling, listing it alongside Pro Familia as an equal option. AlgorithmWatch suspects Caritas's large digital footprint, with about 300 diocesan counseling centers across Germany, may be why the models keep surfacing it.
Source: thedecoder
