If AI Steve comes across a question on a topic on which Endacott has not yet set a policy, the AI will research the issue, prompting further discussion with voters and even policy suggestions. Image credit: Reuters
A rather strange development occurred in the US last week, specifically in the state of Wyoming, where a man running for mayor promised to leave all decisions to AI if elected. This means that an AI bot would have the final say on important matters for the state. Something similar is happening in the UK this year as the general election approaches.
Steve Endacott, chairman of AI company Neural Voice, is running an unusual race for a seat in the UK Parliament: His campaign is fronted by an AI avatar called “AI Steve.”
Endacott is the candidate for the Brighton Pavilion constituency and describes himself as a “real politician” who will make his way to Parliament under the tutelage of AI colleague AI Steve.
At the heart of this groundbreaking campaign is the use of AI to train politicians who are always close to their constituents, actively listening to their concerns, and incorporating that feedback into policy decisions.
AI Steve is powered by Neural Voice’s advanced language models and Endacott’s comprehensive database of party policies, allowing voters to interact directly through the website. Voters can ask AI Steve questions or express their opinions on the Endacott platform. The AI avatar responds with both voice and text, using its extensive knowledge to provide informed answers.
If AI Steve comes across a question on a topic for which Endacott doesn’t yet have a policy, the AI will research the issue, prompting it to discuss further with voters and even propose a policy. This ongoing back-and-forth is intended to establish a continuous feedback loop between candidates and voters.
Endacott last ran unsuccessfully as a Conservative candidate in the 2022 local elections. This time, his innovative approach has attracted a lot of attention. The launch of AI Steve sparked widespread online discussion and more than 1,000 calls were made to the AI candidate overnight.
When asked about Brexit, a key topic in British politics, the AI Steve responded, “As a democracy, the UK has voted to leave. Regardless of my personal views on the issue, it is my responsibility to implement and optimize this decision.” The AI then demonstrated its ability to interact with voters and gather their opinions by asking them, “Do you have any suggestions on how Brexit should be managed going forward?”
Whether AI Steve’s campaign will be successful remains to be seen, but this bold experiment raises important questions about the role of AI in politics, the future of voter engagement, and what it means to be representative in a democratic system.
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