This is getting crazy!
A new political organization, the Synthetic Party, has been founded in Denmark with an AI chatbot named Leader Lars as its head. The party aims to represent all fringe parties that don’t have representation in parliament despite a vote share of 20%.
The party’s ideology falls under Techno-populism, Synthetism, and Radical Democracy, and is a synthesis of other unrepresented ideologies.
Its goal is to raise awareness of how AI can be reasonably incorporated into various segments of our lives, and it supports policies such as universal basic income and government stakeholding in IT companies and internet-based technologies. However, the party has only secured 12 signatures as of now, while at least 20,000 voter signatures are required to contest the November elections.
Regardless of whether or not the Synthetic Party is successful in securing a seat in the Danish parliament, its formation and use of an AI chatbot as its leader raise important questions about the future of politics and representation. As technology continues to advance, it’s possible that we may see more AI-powered political organizations in the future.
However, the use of AI in politics also brings up ethical concerns.
Can an AI chatbot truly represent the interests and needs of the people it claims to represent?
Can it make decisions that take into account the nuances of human experience and emotion? These are questions that will need to be carefully considered and addressed as AI continues to play a greater role in our society.
For now, the Synthetic Party remains an interesting experiment in the intersection of technology and politics. Whether or not it will ultimately succeed in its goals, it has already generated important discussions about the role of AI in our democracy and the need for the representation of marginalized voices.
Will an AI be capable of actually legislating policy one day?