A British lawmaker’s decision to launch an AI version of himself to interact with constituents has ignited backlash and controversy about technology’s role in government.
The Washington Post reports that when Mark Sewards, a newly elected member of the British Parliament, found himself swamped with over 6,000 messages in just his first three months, he realized he couldn’t keep up. Deciding that it was impossible for one person to respond to every constituent, Sewards turned to technology for a solution: he created an artificial intelligence clone of himself.
On Tuesday, Sewards introduced “AI Mark,” a chatbot designed to communicate with the people of Leeds South West and Morley, the constituency he represents. Promoting the tool on social media, Sewards encouraged residents to “give AI Mark a try,” arguing that embracing the AI revolution is necessary to avoid being left behind.
The move, however, was met with swift backlash. Critics on social mediaflooded Sewards with complaints, accusing him of becoming even more inaccessible. One commenter argued, “In effect it makes you even more inaccessible to your constituents than you already are.” Another called it “an awful, lazy, ecologically irresponsible idea,” referencing the environmental impact of large-scale AI operations.
Despite the criticism, the creators behind AI Mark insist that the chatbot is meant to improve access, not limit it. Jeremy Smith, CEO and co-founder of Neural Voice — the company that built the AI — said the goal is to “bring access to [Sewards’] office to the masses and to make him more accessible to the constituents,” noting the limited hours in a day for any one person.
AI Mark, which mimics Sewards’s voice and Yorkshire accent, is programmed to assist with information and facilitate communication, but not to replace direct engagement. The chatbot greets users with, “Hi, I’m AI Mark Sewards, Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley. How can I help you today?” However, it has some limitations. When asked about the most important issues for constituents, the AI admitted, “I don’t have that information in my knowledge base.” On policy questions, its responses tended to be cautious or generic, echoing the kind of hedging often seen in human politicians.
This is not the first time AI company Neural Voice has flirted with politics. The company’s chairman, Steve Endacott, masterminded an AI copy of himself named “AI Steve” running for Parliament as an independent. Endacott planned to attend votes in person based on the feedback of his AI clone.
Read more at the Washington Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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