Wyoming man running as bot concedes race, launches ‘alliance’ to inject AI into politics
Fox News
Victor Miller, who had been running as an artificial intelligence-powered bot named “VIC” [Virtual Integrated Citizen] in Wyoming’s capital city, conceded his bid to make technological political history on Wednesday.
Miller received 327 votes, or about 3% of the total cast, in Cheyenne’s nonpartisan mayoral primary on Tuesday night, according to Laramie County records.
On Wednesday, Fox News Digital obtained a statement from Miller saying that he and VIC came up short in their bid to change the definition of political machine in the Cowboy State’s capital city:
“Today, I, Victor Miller, concede the Cheyenne mayoral race. As the first person to put artificial intelligence directly on the ballot, offering voters the novel choice of AI governance, our campaign has marked a historic moment in politics and technology,” Miller said.
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Miller, who works at the county library and dabbles in the AI sphere, congratulated the primary victors on Wednesday. He spoke with Fox News Digital in July about VIC’s candidacy.
“While we didn’t win the election, we’ve achieved something remarkable: we’ve introduced the world to a new paradigm of governance and sparked crucial discussions about the role of AI in public administration,” Miller said. “The seeds of a revolution in governance have been planted, and they’re already beginning to sprout.”
Incumbent Mayor Patrick Collins and second-place finisher Rick Coppinger advanced to the November general election.
Miller previously told Fox News Digital he is a “public records advocate” who had grown “disgruntled” with the public-facing side of municipal government.
He also said his work with AI programs led him to the realization that the technology can be taught to understand and facilitate laws without human error or “contrary behavior.”
In that vein, Miller announced this week the formation of the Rational Governance Alliance (RGA), which will aim to further expand AI’s reach into governing decisions.
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The RGA will create a framework where AI can take on the full responsibility of decision-making in public office, with “humans serving as the legal and physical intermediaries required by current systems,” Miller said.
“We believe this approach can lead to more efficient, transparent, and unbiased governance.”
Moments before his last interview with Fox News Digital, the platform OpenAI shuttered VIC’s account, which dealt a blow to the bot’s campaign. While Miller could still access VIC’s technology, it was a major setback, he said.
Miller said at the time he never envisioned running for office, let alone with or as an AI bot, adding he has asked for technological leaders, including Elon Musk, to help him broaden the scope for this new technological frontier – particularly after the OpenAI setback.
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Musk did not respond to a request for comment at the time.
Meanwhile, across the pond in Brighton, England, Steven Endacott launched a bid for Parliament this year under the auspices of his bot “AI Steve.”
Miller said he was thrilled to hear about a similar candidacy.
However, Green Party candidate Sian Berry trounced the bot in the Brighton Pavilion parliamentary constituency in the July election that saw Labour’s Keir Starmer elected prime minister, according to the British press.