When the United Kingdom heads to the polls on July 4, voters in the Brighton Pavilion might be taken aback to find an Artificial Intelligence candidate, ‘AI Steve’, on the ballot. This marks the first time in history that an AI candidate is running for parliament or any election. The AI candidate is represented by British businessman Steve Endacott. According to the AI Steve website, if elected, Endacott will attend parliament and “vote on policies as guided by AI Steve’s feedback” from constituents.
Powered by “Neural Voice,” AI Steve allows voters from the constituency to directly interact with the AI. “AI Steve was created to ensure that the people of Brighton and Hove had 24/7 access to leave opinions and create policies,” the website states. Voters can ask questions and share their opinions on policies through the website. AI Steve will recruit local residents into two groups: creators and validators. The creators will develop policies, while the validators will approve them. Policies that receive 50 percent acceptance will be adopted. Additionally, the validators will control AI Steve’s parliamentary votes.
One resident, Cathy Rankin, shared her positive experience on the AI Steve website: “What an amazing concept! I spoke to AI Steve about my bins issue, and within minutes, we had devised a policy! He now recommends adding trackers to bin collection lorries, optimizing routes based on demand, and charging for higher usage based on my comments. This is the first time I’ve had a politician listen to me.”
AI Steve’s platform includes cutting tuition fees by 50 percent for UK-born students and advocating for increased affordable housing. The human face behind AI Steve is Steve Endacott, a Sussex-based entrepreneur with 25 years of experience as a company director. According to the AI Steve website, “Endacott is used to leading large teams in business and providing clear leadership.”
If AI Steve wins the polls, Endacott will step into parliament, guided by the innovative feedback system designed to reflect the will of Brighton and Hove’s residents. This groundbreaking approach aims to transform political engagement and policy-making through the integration of artificial intelligence.
