An investigation into a $2.7 million city contract raises major concerns about how artificial intelligence is being used in the public sector. A recent report revealed that a city employee used ChatGPT to create contract application requirements in ways that favored one vendor and excluded another. McCarter special counsel Andrew Hamilton spoke with Cascade PBS and called the incident a “major red flag,” noting bid rigging as a classic issue in government procurement, but this time with a modern veneer. He warned, however, that trying to write a solicitation to favor one competitor over another is a form of bias, which goes against public procurement principles.
1.5.2026