GOP campaign uses AI chatbot to engage with voters.

A super PAC supporting Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to answer queries about him, marking yet another instance of the use of generative AI in 2024 presidential campaigns.

The SOS America PAC bot unveiled on July 5 listens to a user’s queries and combines them with video responses created by an AI-powered avatar designed to appear and sound like Mr. Suarez.

“Hi, I’m AI Francis Suarez,” the bot says to introduce itself, its mouth moving in a way that attempts to imitate human speech.

“You’ve probably heard that my namesake, conservative Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, is running for president. I’m here to answer questions you may have about Mayor Suarez’s proven agenda for economic prosperity, cutting spending and supporting our police. So, how can I help?”

When asked whether the PAC or campaign is concerned about the potential corruptibility of AI or of alienating those more traditional GOP voters with the use of the technology, the PAC responded, saying the bot helps bring the mayor’s message to more people.

“We created AI Francis Suarez to help communicate the Mayor’s message of bringing the Miami Model to the rest of the country,” SOS America PAC Spokesman Miami Chapin Fay told The Epoch Times. “AI Francis Suarez is just one tool we are deploying to communicate with Republican primary voters, along with plenty of other traditional and cutting-edge tactics.”

The spokesperson went on to say, “Mayor Francis Suarez was a leader in technology in government and ran what is now one of the safest, most economically prosperous big cities in America.”

How the Chat Bot Works

The application is enabled by VideoAsk, a software product developed by Typeform for use in sales and recruiting. According to the product’s website, clients can construct “video funnels” that direct visitors down various paths based on the questions they pose, allowing users to “choose their own adventure.”

The chatbot does not appear to directly address a user’s queries; rather, it directs them to a relevant video on Mr. Suarez’s platform.

When questioned about Mr. Suarez’s immigration plan, for instance, the AI begins to play a 55-second video titled “Mayor Suarez’s Miami Model” that discusses a variety of topics, such as “economic prosperity in Miami,” unemployment rates, job creation, homicide rates, and homelessness.

When asked whether Mr. Suarez would endorse Trump as the Republican nominee, the automaton displays a computer-generated caricature of “AI Ron DeSantis.” The bot asserts that Mr. Suarez is concerned with “saving America’s economy and supporting our police officers,” while DeSantis believes “the single greatest threat to American families today is Mickey Mouse – run for your lives!”

Some queries stymie the AI, resulting in a screen that reads, “Sorry, I did not understand…”

While artificial intelligence has been used in political campaigns before, the SOS America PAC’s AI chatbot featuring AI Francis Suarez adds a new level of interactivity and engagement to the 2024 presidential race.