UK Politician Transforms into Artificial Intelligence Chatbot, Introducing the Nation's First 'Virtual Member of Parliament'
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the UK is taking a bold step forward with the introduction of AI digital twins in politics. Mark Sewards, the Member of Parliament for Leeds South West and Morley, has become the pioneer of this innovative approach, introducing an AI clone of himself to enhance accessibility and constituent engagement.
According to reports from Entrust Cybersecurity Institute, deepfakes were being created every five minutes in 2024. However, the AI digital twin of Sewards is not intended to deceive but to serve. This AI avatar, developed by the Leeds-based startup Neural Voice, is designed to answer questions and assist with constituents' queries around the clock, providing a 24/7 service for constituents to reach their MP.
Neural Voice uses cutting-edge neural voice synthesis and advanced natural language processing to create voice AI assistants for phone systems and websites. In the case of Sewards' AI clone, voice recordings from parliamentary sessions, social media profiles, and previous correspondences with constituents were utilised to create a digital double that mirrors his speaking style, tone, and mannerisms with uncanny accuracy.
The AI digital twin aims to overcome traditional barriers like limited surgery hours or in-person availability by creating a virtual communication channel where constituents get approximate answers or guidance on issues. However, it's important to note that the technology currently provides limited and approximate responses; when it cannot answer specific queries, the avatar directs users to contact the human MP directly.
This initiative in Leeds South West and Morley is described as the UK's first AI representation of an MP, reflecting an experimental approach to digital engagement in politics. While the reception has been mixed with some criticism on the avatar’s performance and appearance, proponents see AI as poised to “revolutionize” political communication and democratize access to elected officials.
The use of AI digital twins is not limited to the UK. Politicians in Japan and Denmark have employed AI avatars for multilingual communication and reaching non-traditional voters. Meanwhile, UK academic projects focus on simulating complex political negotiation and governance processes using advanced AI models, although these focus more on internal political process simulations than constituent engagement.
Sewards encourages his constituents to "give AI Mark a try", but notes that the tool isn't designed to replace his official duties. He believes that the AI revolution is happening and will be at least one promising option in British politics. Jeremy Smith, Neural Voice's CEO and co-founder, shares this sentiment, believing that the new technology will make local politicians more accessible to their constituents.
In summary, AI political digital twins in the UK are being trialed chiefly to provide continuous, accessible political interaction online, improving engagement by supplementing traditional communication methods with AI-driven virtual presence, even though current capabilities and user experience still present challenges. As the world continues to embrace technology, it will be interesting to see how AI evolves in the political arena and how it can further democratise access to elected officials.
- The advancements in artificial-intelligence, as demonstrated by the AI digital twin of Mark Sewards, could potentially revolutionize political communication, democratizing access to elected officials in the general-news sphere.
- In the realm of politics, technology such as AI digital twins, like that of Sewards, is being utilized not just for deception but to enhance accessibility and constituent engagement, as part of the broader digital landscape discussed in the latest news.
