AI Steve wants your vote in Britain's election
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STORY: OFF-CAMERA VOICE: “Can you tell them apart? Which one’s which?” ENDACOTT: “The better-looking one is AI!” Businessman Steve Endacott is on a mission to give the world its first AI lawmaker. :: Brighton, England This is “AI Steve,” an AI-generated avatar of Endacott. When voters head to the polls in Britain’s national election, Endacott’s name will be on the ballot… Though it’s AI Steve that’s the face of his campaign. Endacott says AI Steve would be an improvement from the current political climate. :: Steve Endacott, Candidate “I think Britain will be a better place. Having politicians controlled and influence and in direct contact with all their voters would mean we have better policies and policies for the people, by the people. That is exactly our aim.” But are Brits ready to vote for AI Steve? On Brighton Pier, Endacott is AI Steve's best canvasser. ENDACOTT: "Have you ever spoken to an AI MP before?" His company Neural Voice powers his AI alter ego. Holding a mobile phone out, he’s encouraging residents to give the technology a try. ENDACOTT: “What we’re doing is creating an MP who can be talked to 24/7, 365 days a year…” The avatar engages in real-time with locals on topics ranging from LGBTQ rights and housing to bin collection and immigration. It then puts forth policy ideas before asking them for their suggestions. AI STEVE: “My policies are shaped by the views of constituents like you.” ENDACOTT: “It discusses policies with you, and then it feeds back to me, a human being, to say this is what policies people want, and when I go to parliament, I have to vote – every single time – what my constituents say.” On the security front, Endacott said the policies formulated by AI Steve would be put forward to a group of 500 validators for vetting. “So if we had some rogue voices in there, one rogue voice, hopefully 99 real voice will weigh it out. And even when a policy is created, it's got to get past the validators. Nobody can hack the validators.” When asked about AI Steve, the Electoral Commission stated that the MP would be the elected candidate, not "any AI-generated application they choose to use." In the run-up to, and since Brexit, public trust and confidence in the government have been at record lows in Britain. The governing Conservatives are potentially facing an “electoral extinction." It was the frustration with so-called “standard politics” that Endacott said led him to run as an independent. ENDACOTT: “We want democracy reformed, we want people connected to their MPs because the current system is broken and not working." But despite his legwork - voters might not be convinced yet. :: Andy Clawson, Brighton resident “I think as a concept it's really interesting. It's incorporating AI, which is apparently the future, but, also AI and politicians I guess have the one thing in common, is they can't be trusted either one of them. ”
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