Wyoming mayoral candidate campaigns on having AI run the city

A librarian in Cheyenne, Wyoming, thinks that an AI bot can run the city of 65,000 better than a person, so he registered himself, guided by “VIC,” to run for mayor. 

Victor Miller first came up with the idea after making a public records request that was denied by the city, the Washington Post reported. He appealed it and eventually won. Miller said it led him to wonder if artificial intelligence would be more effective at fulfilling requests without making any errors, so he created a bot from ChatGPT 4.0 and gave it city ordinances and other documents. He found that the bot could quickly recall laws and also make decisions on issues affecting the city. 

Miller paid $25 and filled out the application to run as a mayoral candidate. He would handle face-to-face interactions and gathering information, but VIC would be the one making decisions based on data.

VIC, standing for Virtual Integrated Citizen, appeared at a library meet-and-greet in June to address the questions and concerns posed by citizens. Many of Cheyenne’s citizens were reportedly impressed with how VIC could gather information and formulate a well-thought-out response.

However, news of VIC’s candidacy raised alarm bells for ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The company has a strict policy forbidding its technology to be used in political campaigning.

Upon learning of VIC, OpenAI shut down the chatbot to public users, but Miller still had access to it. Then on June 26, OpenAI notified Miller that it would be shutting down the bot. Scrambling, Miller created a new account with a new email and created another custom bot. 

Attempts by government officials to shut down VIC’s candidacy also fell flat, revealing how the growing technology exists with little regulation. 

In a June 10 letter, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray expressed he had “significant concerns” with VIC appearing on the ballot in Cheyenne.  

“To be a qualified elector, one must be a real person,” he wrote.

However, the city clerk who had certified Miller’s application, Kristina Jones, said there was nothing on the books preventing Miller from receiving guidance from an AI bot.

“Even if Mr. Miller has made the decision to receive direction from an AI Bot, he is still the candidate for election per his application,” Jones wrote.

There are five other candidates running for Cheyenne mayor, and while VIC is not considered a viable candidate, he has garnered some supporters.