Who is AI Steve, the AI-generated candidate running for office in the UK?

Not just in France, citizens must express themselves at the ballot box. The same will be true in the United Kingdom on July 4, when the election of members of the House of Commons will be a question. Among the many candidates, there is one that stands out because it was created by the artificial intelligence that creates it. Called AI Steve, it's actually the avatar of Steve Endacott, a businessman and true independent candidate for vice.

The idea is that if AI Steve is elected, it will be able to vote for the real Steve Endacott knowing that he will be sitting in Parliament. In an interview with WiredHowever he explains that he does not want to change politicians: “By using AI as the technological basis, as a co-pilot, I think we're reinventing politics not to replace politicians, but to make them more connected to their voters.”.

10,000 simultaneous conversations

Technically, AI Steve was designed by NeuralVoice, a company specializing in artificial voice led by Steve Endacott. Any internet user can chat with him and ask him any question Its official website, AI Steve could theoretically hold 10,000 simultaneous conversations. Steve Endacott's idea is to provide a roundabout and original way to answer all voters' questions, 24 hours a day thanks to his brilliant avatar.

The use of generative AI and the presence of a “virtual” candidate in such an election campaign raises a certain number of ethical questions. However, these types of initiatives will increase in number in the coming years. While the probability of AI Steve winning on the 4th of July is relatively low, it remains a powerful promotional tool for Neural Voice's intelligence.