"VIC for mayor!"

In Cheyenne, Wyoming, librarian Victor Miller ran for mayor with a groundbreaking idea: he would act as the "meat avatar" for an AI system called the Virtual Integrated Citizen (VIC), which would govern the city if elected. The concept was that VIC, an artificial intelligence, would make decisions and run the government, with Miller as its human representative.

The campaign, while innovative, did not resonate with voters. Miller and VIC received just 327 votes out of 11,036 cast, finishing fourth in the primary. The campaign faced significant obstacles. The Wyoming Secretary of State expressed concerns about having an AI appear on the ballot without a human counterpart, insisting that real human names must be listed. Additionally, OpenAI, the company behind VIC, shut down AI access, citing violations of rules against political campaigning.
 
Despite these challenges, Miller remains committed to his vision of AI-driven governance. He announced the formation of the Rational Governance Alliance, a group dedicated to promoting "efficient, transparent, and unbiased" governance through AI decision-making. This suggests that while his initial effort fell short, the idea of AI in governance may continue to surface in future political landscapes.
 
Thanks for reading. Please follow my blog and write your feedback.