AI for mayor? US town sees chatbot enter election race
Victor Miller, a mayoral candidate from Cheyenne, Wyoming (US state), has made a groundbreaking campaign promise. He has pledged that if elected, he will delegate all decision-making to his AI chatbot, VIC (Virtual Integrated Citizen). Despite the fact that VIC has struggled with election-related queries in the past, Miller remains confident in its abilities. The AI chatbot's name even appears on Cheyenne's official list of mayoral candidates.
AI chatbot's capabilities and creator's role
VIC, the AI chatbot designed by Miller, operates on OpenAI's GPT-4o. Despite OpenAI's policies against using its technology for political purposes, Miller has not sought their approval. He plans to act as VIC's "meat puppet," handling administrative tasks such as signing documents and attending meetings. "I realized that this entity is way smarter than me, and more importantly, way better than some of the outward-facing public servants I see," Miller told Wired.
Legal and ethical concerns over governance
Miller's unique campaign strategy has raised legal and ethical concerns. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray has stated that Wyoming law requires candidates to be "qualified electors," which necessitates being a real person. He has also expressed concerns about the use of a pseudonym on the ballot. In response, Miller clarified to Wired that VIC is an abbreviation of his own name, Victor, and he is technically the candidate on the ballot.
AI's potential role in future politics
Despite the controversy surrounding his candidacy, Miller remains optimistic about the future of AI in politics. He told Cowboy State Daily, "I think the serious commentary on this issue says AI will not replace people, people using AI will replace people who don't use AI." "I believe all politicians someday will openly admit that they use AI, just as they do now openly admit they use Google Calendar."
