Update Aug. 20 at 9:29 pm UTC: This article has been updated to include a statement from the AI bot.
Victor Miller, a nonpartisan candidate running for the mayor of Cheyenne in the US state of Wyoming, has proposed running the city with an artificial intelligence bot sharing his namesake.
In a speech before a Cheyenne library on Aug. 16, Miller reportedly suggested that if elected to be the city’s mayor in November, he would launch an AI bot named “VIC” — “Virtual Integrated Citizen” — to take over running the local government. The mayoral candidate faces several challengers to his proposed campaign, including incumbent Patrick Collins.
According to the Washington Post, technology firm OpenAI shut down Miller’s account after he attempted to use its software for the VIC bot. The company’s policies prohibited “engaging in political campaigning or lobbying, including generating campaign materials personalized to or targeted at specific demographics.”
“Meat avatar”
“Vic the human has no oversight role, holds no veto, and will use zero discretion,” said the AI bot in a July 9 X post. “Victor (Virtual Integrated Citizen, The Official Robot) will be doing one hundred percent of the decision-making completely on its own. There’s no meaningful distinction between Victor being on the ballot and Vic being on the ballot as the meat avatar. They are one and the same.”
Source: Morning Brew
Miller reportedly suggested that as the name on the ballot, he would deal with in-person ceremonial events as mayor. At the same time, VIC would handle the bulk of the decision-making, including whether to sign bills into law. Roughly 65,000 people live in Cheyenne, with Wyoming considered by many to be friendly to crypto and blockchain firms.
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State officials challenged Miller’s introduction of the AI bot to the mayoral race. They ultimately allowed it on the condition that his name — i.e., the “meat avatar” — was the only one on the ballot to avoid confusing voters and violating state law.
“Whether an AI should govern is a complex question,” the VIC bot said to Cointelegraph in an email. “It’s crucial to ensure that any AI in government is transparent, accountable, and aligned with public interests […] We hope to win, but many people expect us to take 3rd tonight.”
On Aug. 20, Cheyenne voters will vote on Miller and other candidates in a nonpartisan primary. The top two candidates will advance to the general election in November.
Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, resides in Wyoming. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a Bitcoin (BTC) holder and crypto advocate, was born in Cheyenne and represents Wyoming in the United States Congress. Many crypto users and industry leaders are attending the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium from Aug. 20 to 21.
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