AI candidate runs for UK Parliament. Could this be the future of politics? 

An artificially intelligent chatbot called ‘AI Steve’ will compete for votes in the UK’s general election on July 4, aiming to become the first ‘AI Member of Parliament (MP).’ ‘AI Steve’ is backed by Steve Endacott, a local entrepreneur and political hopeful, and will run as an independent candidate in the Brighton and Hove constituency, in the southeast of England.

Also read: World’s first AI pageant recognizes virtual influencers for beauty and impact

According to Endacott’s website, voters can chat with AI Steve online to learn about existing policies as well as “express their opinions to create a new policy. The AI lawmaker will consolidate this feedback, which will be presented in Parliament by the real Steve. If elected, Endacott will also ‘physically’ attend meetings and vote on policies as guided by the chatbot.

AI aims for ‘policies by the people for the people’

Endacott self-describes as a “capitalist with a socialist conscience.” The British businessman made his money running a holiday tour operator, My Travel, before venturing into politics. In 2022, he reportedly competed in local council elections in Rochdale under the Conservative party and lost. He now chairs Neural Voice, the AI company that created AI Steve.

“AI Steve was created to ensure that the people of Brighton and Hove had 24/7 access to leave opinions and create policies,” Endacott said on his website. “Policies for the people by the people!”

Long Do, the CEO of AI-powered gaming platform Anomaly, said while it was “premature for artificial intelligence to fully take over political roles,” its use in aspects of the democratic process could improve the effectiveness and inclusivity of governance. Do told Cryptopolitan:

“One of the most significant advantages of AI in governance is its potential to minimize human biases, providing more objective and data-driven decision-making processes.”

“However, this is contingent on the transparency and fairness of the AI’s underlying code. The integration of AI in politics must be accompanied by robust oversight mechanisms to maintain public trust and ensure that the technology serves the public good,” he added.

Also read: AI helps farmers plant crops and raise livestock

Long Do also spoke about how artificial intelligence could also improve “the efficiency of governance by processing vast amounts of information quickly and accurately.” For example, arbitration decisions made by AI can reduce delays and increase consistency in legal rulings, he said.

---

Cryptopolitan Reporting by Jeffrey Gogo