Democrat hoping to replace Nancy Pelosi takes down 'sexist and racist' website after tone-deaf attack on rival 'missed the mark'

By NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:42, 10 August 2026 | Updated: 00:59, 10 August 2026 A Democrat hoping to replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress has taken down a 'racist and sexist' campaign website used to mock her after admitting the tone-deaf attack on his rival 'missed the mark.' California state senator Scott Wiener launched an AI chatbot last Monday impersonating his opponent, District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan. That chatbot was branded 'racist and sexist' by Pelosi and a slew of other Democrats who branded it 'a gross misuse of technology.' But just five days after its launch, Wiener's campaign backtracked and said they would be taking down the website and the multiple billboards that promoted it. Wiener said the bot, ConnieChan.ai, was meant to be a parody highlighting Chan's record on housing, public transit and other issues. 'Today, we are taking down the chatbot, and the billboards that promoted it will come down soon,' he announced Friday. In a statement to the Daily Mail on Sunday, Wiener's team said: 'The conversation became about the tactic instead of the issues that actually matter to San Franciscans - housing and health care they can afford, transit that works, schools that serve every kid, and a downtown that comes back stronger.'  The Connie Chan chatbot referred to itself as 'the world's first AI trained to say no to anything you ask,' the SF Gate reported. California state senator Scott Wiener has deleted an AI chatbot that his campaign launched to attack his opponent, Connie Chan Wiener launched the AI chatbot last Monday, but on Friday announced they were taking down the website and the campaign billboards that promoted it Connie Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, said the chatbot had racist and sexist undertones Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, said the chatbot displayed racist and sexist undertones, alleging it did not directly respond to questions about her accent, citizenship and whether or not she was from China. The Daily Mail was unable to independently verify these claims because the website is currently 'undergoing maintenance.'  Wiener's team disputed Chan's accusations, alleging the indirect responses stemmed from safeguarding features that were put in place 'to prevent any inappropriate answers.' He said his team intended to engage voters in an innovative way, but now acknowledge that the chatbot may not have been the best way to do that.   'Throughout my career, I've never been afraid to push the envelope, which means taking risks, sometimes succeeding, and sometimes missing the mark. That's how we've delivered first-in-the-nation laws on housing, paid parental leave, mental health care, and AI safety: by taking on tough fights and refusing to accept the status quo,' Wiener's statement said. 'This chatbot came from that same approach. It was our attempt to reach voters in a new, innovative, and more engaging way than a traditional static website. 'But our use of an AI chatbot clearly missed the mark. The conversation became about the tactic instead of the issues that actually matter to San Franciscans — housing and health care they can afford, transit that works, schools that serve every kid, and a downtown that comes back stronger. The focus must remain on those critical issues, so we're taking the chatbot and billboards down.' A spokesperson for Chan, in a statement to KRON, said that 'Wiener can rightly take down his bigotry bot, but he can't erase the concerns it raised among San Franciscans about his character and judgment.' Saikat Chakrabarti, state Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan during San Francisco Congressional District 11 Candidate Forum in January Wiener removed the chatbot after Nancy Pelosi, several other congressional members and other Democrat leaders branded it a 'a gross misuse of technology' 'San Franciscans deserve better than a campaign funded by Big AI weaponizing the technology to mock an immigrant woman of color, doubling down after justified outrage, then reversing course and shrugging it off as simply 'missing the mark,' the spokesman said. 'Connie Chan will keep her campaign focused on fighting for working families, affordable housing, reliable transit, and responsible AI - without turning San Francisco voters into a political experiment.' Wiener removed the chatbot after Pelosi, several other congressional members and other Democrat leaders branded it a 'a gross misuse of technology.' In a joint statement, Pelosi and her allies said: 'Women have spent generations fighting to have our own voices heard in the halls of power. We should not have to now fight against artificial intelligence putting words in our mouths.'  The group accused Wiener's campaign of 'using AI to fabricate a woman's voice for ridicule or attack' and said the move reflected a 'disturbing willingness to erase women's agency and reinforce the sexist tropes that have long been used to undermine women in public life.' Wiener has since apologized to anyone who was 'offended' by that chatbot, while also thanking the supporters who 'loved' it.  'I heard from many people who loved the idea, and I appreciate their support,' he said. 'But many others were offended, and I apologize for causing that offense.' He added that during the final stretch of his campaign, he will now focus on the issues, candidate records and the future of San Francisco. The Daily Mail has approached Chan and Pelosi for comment.