Elections in Cheyenne, USA: mayoral candidate is an Artificial Intelligence
Today voters in Cheyenne, USA, face a historic and unusual election. One of the candidates for mayor is none other than an Artificial Intelligence. VIC, a personalized chatbot based on ChatGPT, is running for office with promises of impartial, data-driven decisions. But can a machine govern?
In Cheyenne, capital of Wyoming, USA, today's elections bring a curious scenario to say the least: among the candidates for mayor, the most notable VIC, a personalized chatbot based on Artificial Intelligence. Created by Victor Miller, who considers himself a genius with an IQ of 155, VIC is the acronym for Integrated Virtual Citizen. Miller believes that this AI can revolutionize the city’s public administration.
Artificial Intelligence will be the main decision maker
If elected, VIC will not just be an assistant; he will be the main decision maker. Victor Miller would act as a “flesh and blood avatar”, providing the data necessary for the chatbot to make decisions. According to Miller, this approach would allow city government to be more efficient and impartial, using large amounts of data to reach the best conclusions.. However, decisions would be based on chatbot analysis, raising questions about the feasibility and safety this form of governance.
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VIC plans to collect citizens' opinions
In a meeting with editors from The Washington Post, VIC highlighted that its decisions would take into account both data and human factors. The chatbot promises a balance between empathy and logic, ensuring that the community is heard. For that, VIC plans to collect citizens' opinions and consult experts before making any important decisions.
Artificial Intelligence as mayor
Not everyone is excited about the idea of Artificial Intelligence as mayor. Chuck Gray, Wyoming's secretary of state, opened an investigation to determine whether a chatbot could legally run for office. Despite their attempts to block the candidacy, the local government decided to move forward. OpenAI, the company responsible for ChatGPT, closed Miller's account, believing that the application had been rejected. However, that wasn't enough to stop Miller, who created a new chatbot and made sure his name was on the ballot.
The big question is whether society is ready
The VIC candidacy in Cheyenne can be seen as a test for forms of government based on technocracy, where political decisions are made by experts or, in this case, by Artificial Intelligence. While the idea of data-driven government is appealing, the ethical and social implications of such a system are complex. The big question is whether society is ready to entrust public management to a machine, especially considering that AIs still make mistakes and can generate inaccurate information.
Victor Miller and VIC, your Artificial Intelligence chatbot, are ready for the challenge. On social media, they encourage Cheyenne citizens to embrace this new form of governance, claiming it is time to “get drunk on intelligence“. The outcome of this election could define not only the future of the city, but also pave the way for broader discussions about the role of AIs in politics and public administration, both in the US and around the world.