A mayoral candidate in Wyoming who proposed letting an artificial intelligence bot run the local government lost his race on Tuesday – by a lot.
The candidate, Victor Miller, announced his run for mayor of Cheyenne earlier this year, and quickly made headlines after he decided to run with his customized ChatGPT bot, named Vic (Virtual Integrated Citizen), and declared his intention to govern in a hybrid format, in what experts say was a first for US political campaigns.
Before the election on Tuesday, the AI bot “told” Your Wyoming Link that its role in the government would be to provide data-driven insights and innovative solutions for Cheyenne, while Miller would serve as the official mayor if chosen by voters and would ensure that “all actions are legally and practically executed”.
But ultimately, Miller and his bot only received 327 votes out of the 11,036 cast.
On Tuesday evening, Miller conceded the race, and said in a statement the campaign was not about him as a candidate, but rather it was about “offering voters a groundbreaking option: the chance to elect an AI that would make 100% of the decisions in office”.
He added that his role was “merely as the necessary human interface to get this new form of intelligence on the ballot, since current laws don’t allow AI to run independently”.
Despite his paltry showing at the ballot box, Miller said of his bot partnership: “The seeds of a revolution in governance have been planted, and they’re already beginning to sprout.”