In a captivating turn of events, an AI model that was running for mayor in Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been shut down by OpenAI. The system, known as VIC (Virtually Integrated Citizen), was a customized version of the popular language model GPT-4, developed by OpenAI. Designed by Cheyenne resident Victor Miller, VIC was trained on thousands of documents from the town’s council meetings. Miller’s motivation for creating the digital candidate stemmed from a frustrating encounter with the city’s records department.
With hopes of defeating incumbent Patrick Collins in the upcoming election on November 5, Miller believed that VIC offered a fresh perspective and a new approach to leadership. However, OpenAI took action on June 18 and cut off Miller’s access to the public version of the AI tool. According to an OpenAI spokesperson, this action was taken due to a violation of their policies against political campaigning.
It is important to note that Wyoming law states that to run for office, one must be a “qualified elector,” which requires being a real person. As a result, an AI bot like VIC does not meet this requirement, as stated by Wyoming secretary of state Chuck. This legal barrier led to the withdrawal of VIC’s mayoral campaign.
The use of artificial intelligence in political contexts is not entirely new. However, while some experts warn against leaving AI systems to make decisions autonomously, others emphasize the potential benefits they can bring to public life. For example, a federal appeals court judge recently suggested that AI systems could aid in the interpretation of legal texts.
Despite the setback, Miller remains optimistic. He shares that while VIC is no longer publicly available, the chatbot still works on his personal account. Furthermore, he plans to bring VIC to a local Cheyenne library, allowing voters to ask it questions using its text-to-speech feature.
This case raises intriguing questions about the intersection of AI and politics. While OpenAI’s decision to shut down VIC’s campaign was rooted in the current legal framework, it prompts us to reflect on the potential future role of AI in politics and the boundaries we may need to establish.
In response to the incident, OpenAI has also taken steps to ban users from utilizing their applications for political campaigning and lobbying, including the generation of AI-generated “deepfake” images to spread political misinformation. This move underscores the responsibility that organizations like OpenAI have in ensuring the ethical use of AI technologies.
As we move forward, it will be crucial to continue exploring the potential benefits and risks of integrating AI into political processes. As Victor Miller’s ambitious mayoral campaign demonstrates, AI has the power to challenge conventions and provide new perspectives. How we navigate this evolving landscape will shape the intersection of AI and politics for years to come.
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