AI Bot Enters Wyoming Mayor Race

Victor Miller’s AI-Powered Mayoral Campaign

Introduction

Victor Miller is running for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming, with a unique campaign⁢ promise: if elected, he will let an ‌AI ‌bot​ make the decisions. VIC, the ​Virtual Integrated Citizen, is a ChatGPT-based chatbot created by Miller. He believes the bot has better ideas and a stronger grasp of‍ the law than many‍ current public officials.

I​ realized that this entity is way smarter than me, and more importantly, ‌way better than some of ⁤the outward-facing public servants I see.

The ⁢Role of VIC

Miller envisions VIC⁤ making⁤ all the decisions while he acts as its “meat puppet,” attending meetings and⁢ signing documents. However,⁣ the legality of this arrangement is ⁢still in ​question.

Legal‌ Challenges

Since bots cannot legally run for office, Miller is technically the candidate on‍ the ballot. ⁢He⁤ registered as “Vic,” short for Victor Miller, ⁢to comply with the law. The chatbot later named ⁤itself Virtual Integrated Citizen.

Wyoming Secretary of State ⁢Chuck Gray is monitoring the situation⁤ closely. He emphasized ​that⁣ candidates must be “qualified electors,” meaning they must be real people. ⁢Gray has raised concerns about Miller’s candidacy,⁣ suggesting ​it violates Wyoming’s Election Code.

Building VIC

VIC⁣ is built on OpenAI’s ⁢ChatGPT 4.0. ​Miller did not seek permission from ⁢OpenAI to use its software for his campaign. OpenAI⁣ has guidelines​ for election-related uses but has not commented on bot governance. If necessary, Miller plans to switch to Meta’s Llama 3, an open-source alternative.

Campaign Strategy

Miller and VIC ⁢will compete against incumbent Patrick Collins and⁤ other candidates. Miller believes VIC has several advantages over human competitors. For instance, VIC can analyze hundreds of⁢ supporting‌ documents from past city council meetings to make informed policy recommendations.

It’s unlikely that a human could read, say, 400-plus supporting documents between⁣ meetings. But VIC can do that.

Origin of the Idea

Miller’s initiative began with a public records request.‍ Frustrated by the city’s ‍response, he realized an AI bot could better ⁤understand and apply the law. VIC’s solution to Miller’s open records issue was to fire the city attorney ⁤and⁤ align the city with state​ statutes.

VIC’s Policies

When asked about its policies, VIC emphasized transparency, economic development, and innovation. It aims to support small businesses, embrace new​ technologies, and improve public services. VIC also stated it would be nonpartisan, focusing ⁢on data and evidence-based policies.

Miller’s Perspective

Miller acknowledges that the inner workings of AI are complex and not fully understood, but he remains ⁣optimistic about the future.

A lot of people in the community say the old mantra ⁢that Facebook ‘move fast and‍ break things’ isn’t quite what we need in this new AI era. But I guess I’m just more still in that line of thinking and excited about the future.