Critics suspect Trump's tariffs may have been calculated using chatbots

Critics believe that Donald Trump's administration used chatbots to calculate the reciprocal tariffs announced on April 2, which Trump called "individualized" tariffs on countries with the "largest trade deficits" with the United States, Ars Technica reports.

The tariffs are set to take effect on April 9 for 60 countries, with maximum rates of about 50%. This is in addition to the base tariff of 10% that will apply to all countries from April 5. While Trump has said he wants to fight those who exploit the United States, some of the countries on the list surprised experts. In particular, they noted that Trump chose uninhabited islands for the tariffs, where nothing is exported and only penguins live.

Some foreign officials have questioned Trump's math, including the Norfolk Island government, which told The Guardian that "there are no known exports from Norfolk Island to the United States and no tariffs or known non-tariff trade barriers on goods coming to Norfolk Island."

Economists worry that these tariffs could unexpectedly impose large costs on American companies, which in turn will lead to higher prices for consumers. It is worth noting that the world's 500 richest people have already lost a combined $208 billion due to the tariffs.

Rumors on social media suggest that the Trump administration may have used chatbots to calculate tariffs. Tech entrepreneur Amy Hoy shared screenshots from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok, showing that the chatbots produced similar results to those used by the Trump administration. However, some chatbots warned that their calculations oversimplify complex aspects of international trade.

ChatGPT noted that the simple method ignores important factors, while Gemini and Claude emphasized that trade deficits do not always mean unfair trade practices and that tariffs can have complex economic consequences.

The Verge also used the same phrases as the Trump administration to calculate the tariffs, and received similar recommendations from chatbots. It is not known whether Trump actually consulted the chatbots, but even they warn that the tariffs may not be beneficial for the United States. At the same time, Trump continues to argue that the tariffs will help create better jobs and solve the problems of global trade.