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Axios Philadelphia Thought Bubble

Axios Philadelphia

So here's to you, Philadelphia, city of dreams; With a past that whispers, in the shadows it gleams.

These lovely lyrics came not from a Philly bard, but a robot. 

State of play: ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, is breaking the internet with instant replies that are far more advanced than any previous AI effort, Axios' Erica Pandey, Dan Primack and Ina Fried report.

The free (for now) service offers seemingly endless possibilities, from answering simple questions to writing essay-length responses to any prompt you can think of.

The big picture: ChatGPT has been used by realtors to write house listings, newsrooms to publish AI-generated stories, and has even passed an MBA exam given by a Wharton School professor.

Major school districts and universities across the country have already banned the tool over plagiarism concerns, including the School District of Philadelphia. 

👋 Mike here! I spent an afternoon testing the chatbot's grasp and knowledge of Philly.

It could not predict whether the Eagles will win Super Bowl LVII or any other future events. 

Yes, but: It did note Philly was considered the sports capital of the U.S., given enthusiastic support for its sports teams.

Plus: When asked for pizza recommendations, it suggested Tacconelli's, Pizzeria Beddia and Sarcone's Bakery. Not bad!

Zoom in: Things got interesting when I asked the chatbot for more creative answers.

The chatbot believed Philly’s infamous Citywide Special, the bourbon-cheap beer combo, was considered a single drink rather than two. 

It didn’t mention the median on South Broad Street when listing the most popular places to park in South Philly.

I also asked ChatGPT to tell me a joke about why Philadelphia City Hall is so big. 

The punchline: “Because it's got room for all the politicians to talk, and talk, and talk, and talk ... and still never get anything done!”

Later, I asked it to write a haiku about Gritty:

Yes, but: The bot's developer, OpenAI, acknowledges it "can occasionally produce incorrect answers."

The chatbot stumbled when asked to recommend Black-owned restaurants in Philly, offering non-existent eateries or those not in the city.  

Go deeper: Learn more about what AI chatbot technology might mean for the future in Axios AM's recent takeover issue and read this ChatGPT poem about Philly in the style of Edgar Allen Poe.

​​Philadelphia, city of shadows and mist,

From the Liberty Bell to the streets that curve,

Where the past and the present forever converge.

Your streets are alive with the ghosts of the dead,

Whispers of the past, in their hearts they're wed,

Hiding secrets and stories, night and day.

The Eagles soar, the 76ers play with fire,

And the people stand tall, their passions never tire,

The ghosts of the past, they roam the city's hills.

So here's to you, Philadelphia, city of dreams,

With a past that whispers, in the shadows it gleams,

And though the night may be filled with mist and fear,

Your spirit and beauty, they always remain near.

We tested ChatGPT’s Philadelphia knowledge

The chatbot could not predict whether the Eagles will win Super Bowl LVII or any other future events.

Animated gif of a computer screen that reads "A.I" with the "I" as a blinking cursor

So here&#x27;s to you, Philadelphia, city of dreams; With a past that whispers, in the shadows it gleams.<ul><li>These lovely lyrics came not from a Philly bard, but a robot. </li></ul>State of play: ChatGPT, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="an artificial intelligence chatbot" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/30438930.89/aHR0cHM6Ly9jaGF0Lm9wZW5haS5jb20vP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/613bb99cb4152b573124203fBeeeb0c4a" data-vars-content-id="1fc0a8bc-c6ea-4887-a421-7e3ba329a3bc" data-vars-headline="We tested ChatGPT’s Philadelphia knowledge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/30438930.89/aHR0cHM6Ly9jaGF0Lm9wZW5haS5jb20vP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/613bb99cb4152b573124203fBeeeb0c4a" target="_blank">an artificial intelligence chatbot</a>, is breaking the internet with instant replies that are far more advanced than any previous AI effort, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Erica Pandey, Dan Primack and Ina Fried report" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/30438930.89/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjMvMDEvMjQvY2hhdGdwdC1vcGVuYWktaXBob25lLWJvb20_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3A/613bb99cb4152b573124203fB9985e4b1" data-vars-content-id="1fc0a8bc-c6ea-4887-a421-7e3ba329a3bc" data-vars-headline="We tested ChatGPT’s Philadelphia knowledge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/30438930.89/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjMvMDEvMjQvY2hhdGdwdC1vcGVuYWktaXBob25lLWJvb20_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3A/613bb99cb4152b573124203fB9985e4b1" target="_blank">Axios&#x27; Erica Pandey, Dan Primack and Ina Fried report</a>.

News

Philly lifeguards are in line for a bonus of up to $1,000 this summer. 

What’s happening:  The perk is one of the city’s latest efforts to recruit enough lifeguards to open its 70 outdoor pools this summer amid a nationwide lifeguard shortage.

The city needs upwards of 400 lifeguards to open all its pools. 

Why it matters: The shortage has prevented some Philly pools from opening and forced limited hours at others in recent years. 

Pools provide respite from the heat, which is a concern in the city’s low-income neighborhoods that tend to be hotter due to low tree canopy and a legacy of redlining.

Plus: Public pools offer a safe place for young people during summertime spikes in gun violence. 

Flashback: The city opened 49 pools last year and recruited 285 lifeguards, Parks and Recreation Department spokesperson Maita Soukup tells Axios. 

That was a boost from 2021, when only 42 pools were open. 

The big picture: The national lifeguard shortage could be even worse this year, Bernard Fisher II, director of health and safety for the American Lifeguard Association, tells Axios.

While pools struggle to recruit, the recertification of existing lifeguards —  required every two years — could also contribute to a shortage this year. 

While Fisher applauds efforts to attract more applicants, he says the city should consider increasing their pay further and court older hopefuls. 

Wages for Philly lifeguards range from $16 to $18 an hour. Starting pay has risen by $1.50 since 2019.

Zoom out: Some U.S. cities aim to attract lifeguards with big financial incentives. Phoenix, for instance, is offering $3,000 bonuses. 

How it works: Philly lifeguard applications are due April 15 and candidates will need to work through the summer to be eligible for the $1,000 bonus. Candidates who sign up by May 15 are eligible for a $500 bonus. 

All bonuses will be distributed at the end of the summer.

Plus: The city is offering other incentives, including free Red Cross certification classes for 16-24 year-olds. 

The city will also offer free swimming lessons to some interested candidates. 

Lifeguard shortage prompts Philadelphia to offer bonuses

The city is offering other incentives to attract lifeguards, including free Red Cross certification classes.

Illustration of "Help Wanted" written at the bottom of a pool.

Philly lifeguards are in line for a bonus of up to $1,000 this summer. What’s happening: The perk is one of the city’s latest efforts to recruit enough lifeguards to open its 70 outdoor pools this summer amid a nationwide lifeguard shortage.

Data: City of Philadelphia; Chart: Axios Visuals. Editor's note: This chart has been corrected to show that Derek Green had $440.5k cash on hand, not $246.5k, as city data initially indicated. 

Mayoral candidates have already raised millions of dollars ahead of the May primary. 

Driving the news: Annual campaign finance reports for 2022 gave us a first look at the campaign war chests of those running to become the city’s 100th mayor. 

The filings show the cash raised and spent by candidates, along with their donors.

The open mayoral race has drawn more than a half a dozen Democratic candidates and no Republicans.

Why it matters: Fundraising is a marker of candidate strength in a crowded field for a citywide election that traditionally has low voter turnout.   

The financial reports could also influence future donors and endorsements. 

The May primaries also include races for the 17-member City Council, city commissioner and sheriff.

Between the lines: Axios reviewed all the mayoral candidates’ campaign finance reports on the city’s website. Here are some interesting numbers that caught our eye:

Real estate magnate and former City Council member Allan Domb raised $5.7 million, $5 million of which was his own money that he put into his campaign.

Grocer Jeff Brown, who owns several ShopRite stores in the region, contributed at least $240,000 of his own money out of more than $1 million raised.

The intrigue: Super PACs, independent groups that can’t coordinate with campaigns, are expected to spend millions of additional dollars and play an outsized role in the race, Pat Christmas, chief policy officer for the nonprofit government watchdog group the Committee of Seventy, tells Axios. 

Spending by super PACs has been on the rise in elections at all levels in recent years, Christmas said.

In Philly's last open mayoral race in 2015, super PACs outspent all other candidates combined. 

What they’re saying: Christmas warned that it’s still early in the mayoral race and a lot can change before the primary. 

“We’ll see at some point more of a divergence between candidates that are raising a lot of money and are at the top of the pack and those that are falling behind,” he said.

Philadelphia mayoral candidates haul in cash, finance reports show

Mayoral candidates have already raised millions of dollars ahead of the May primary. Driving the news: Annual campaign finance reports for 2022 gave us a first look at the campaign war chests of those running to become the city’s 100th mayor.

Politics

The city’s municipal election is in full swing as candidates are campaigning ahead of the May primary.

So we’ll take a look at the state of the mayor’s race and what’s new at the polls this year. 

Democratic candidates pile into mayor’s race

The crowded Democratic field is on track to be the largest since the 1970s.

With Mayor Jim Kenney unable to run again due to term limits, the open election has drawn several viable, deep-pocketed candidates. 

State of play: At least 10 Democrats are vying to become Philly’s 100th mayor, including five former City Council members, a state legislator, and a supermarket magnate. 

Historic election: Philly has never had a female mayor but several women are running this time around. Cherelle Parker — a former city legislator and member of the powerful Northwest Coalition — is among the top contenders. 

What to watch: City unions and organizations are choosing sides. 

Their endorsements will infuse critical funding and get-out-the-vote efforts that could prove the difference in a typically low-turnout election. 

The Working Families Party, a progressive third party that has made significant inroads in city politics, endorsed Helen Gym. 

While AFSCME District 33, Philly’s largest municipal union, has backed grocer Jeff Brown. 

Gym made an unforced error this week when she attended a gathering at The Union League — only days after she criticized the club for honoring Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

State of play: Gym condemned the club last week for giving DeSantis its gold medal, saying she would “always stand against the racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and the bigotry” that the club decided to honor.  

Yes, but: On Monday she was seen schmoozing at an annual meeting at the club, which ignited a social media firestorm. 

The result: Gym quickly apologized, saying attending the meeting was a mistake. 

The city will roll out electronic poll books for the first time during the May primary.

Why it matters: The new electronic books will speed up the check-in process for voters and poll workers, Nick Custodio, a spokesperson for City Commissioner Lisa Deeley, told Axios.

The electronic poll book technology will reduce human error, confirm a voter’s correct polling place, and inform poll workers whether a voter was issued a mail-in ballot.

How it works: Rather than signing into the polls on a large paper poll book, voters will instead sign an electronic tablet. 

Municipalities across the country have used electronic poll books for years. 

On the campaign trail: Philly mayor's race and polling place updates

Campaign pins inside the city's Board of Elections Office in City Hall. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios

Axios Local

The city’s municipal election is in full swing as candidates are campaigning ahead of the May primary.<ul><li>So we’ll take a look at the state of the mayor’s race and what’s new at the polls this year. </li></ul>

The police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis has members of Philadelphia’s police watchdog group pushing to quickly fill its staffing vacancies.  

Driving the news: The Citizens Police Oversight Commission is still without a permanent executive director and director of investigations nearly two years after the city council’s bill established the oversight agency. 

They’re also looking to hire more auditors, policy analysts and community outreach specialists.

The big picture: In an editorial this week, Live Free, a Philly-based advocacy group that campaigns for an end to gun violence and mass incarceration, called the Nichols case a “deadly reminder” that CPOC needs to “demonstrate a greater sense of urgency” in hiring.

The editorial was signed by a group that included Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, who served on the CPOC commissioner selection committee, and current commissioner Melanie DeBouse. Tyler and DeBouse didn’t respond to phone messages left for them at Live Free.

Why it matters: The oversight agency, which replaced the Police Advisory Commission (PAC) in 2021, represented the city’s most meaningful police reform in decades, especially following an increase in police misconduct settlements the last six years.

What they’re saying: CPOC interim executive director Anthony Erace told Axios that he welcomed the push from commissioners. 

“It keeps the fire under everyone’s feet and the issues in the public eye,” he said. “The commissioners are the heart and soul of police reform in Philadelphia.”

Board commissioner chairman Jahlee Hatchett told Axios that roughly 60 people applied to become CPOC’s next executive director, and the group hopes to extend an offer by March.

Erace, who helmed PAC before it was replaced, is among the candidates being considered.

Filling the general counsel opening is also key as city legislation armed CPOC with subpoena power to investigate allegations of police misconduct, shootings and other uses of force.

Of note: While hiring has been slow, Erace told Axios his agency has worked hard to pry the lid off Police Board of Inquiry disciplinary hearings for the public.

The group also now has someone sitting on the three-person adjudication panel which has a say in punishment for officers found guilty of misconduct. 

By the numbers: The oversight agency has 13 staff members and a $2.4 million budget.

It hopes to expand to upwards of 120 and have a budget in the tens of millions of dollars within three to four years, Erace said.

Right now, the group is focused on building out constituent relations, data, auditing and monitoring, and “real-time” units that help track and keep up on high-profile cases.

It’s a tall task as city police’s internal affairs generate between 800 and 1,200 cases each year, Erace said.

Yes, but: It’s Mayor Jim Kenney’s last year in office and any momentum the group has built would need continued support from the next administration and council.

Live Free says CPOC’s funding should be “close to 5%” of the city’s $788 million police budget.

What we’re watching: That’s a big ask but one CPOC officials hope is made over time as they work toward transforming the agency into a national model for police oversight.

“You don’t birth a child, and within a year, expect that they can walk, brush their teeth, clothe themselves and do all of that,” Hatchett told Axios. “This is similar. It is a growing process, there are growing pains.”

Clock ticking for Philly police watchdog to fill openings

The police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis has members of Philadelphia’s police watchdog group pushing to quickly fill its staffing vacancies.

Illustration of police badge on the pendulum of a clock.

The police killing of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tyre Nichols" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/30/sixth-memphis-police-officer-in-tyre-nichols-case-relieved-of-duty" data-vars-content-id="f160ae6d-f324-4356-a6fb-3fd23ef831dc" data-vars-headline="Clock ticking for Philly police watchdog to fill openings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/30/sixth-memphis-police-officer-in-tyre-nichols-case-relieved-of-duty" target="_self">Tyre Nichols</a> in Memphis has members of Philadelphia’s police watchdog group pushing to quickly fill its staffing vacancies. Driving the news: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Citizens Police Oversight Commission" data-vars-click-url="https://www.phila.gov/departments/citizens-police-oversight-commission/staff/" data-vars-content-id="f160ae6d-f324-4356-a6fb-3fd23ef831dc" data-vars-headline="Clock ticking for Philly police watchdog to fill openings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.phila.gov/departments/citizens-police-oversight-commission/staff/" target="_blank">The Citizens Police Oversight Commission</a> is still without a permanent executive director and director of investigations nearly two years after the city council’s bill established the oversight agency.

Mike D'Onofrio

Featured stories

We tested ChatGPT’s Philadelphia knowledge

Lifeguard shortage prompts Philadelphia to offer bonuses

Philadelphia mayoral candidates haul in cash, finance reports show

On the campaign trail: Philly mayor's race and polling place updates

Clock ticking for Philly police watchdog to fill openings