Black Mirror becomes reality: Artificial intelligence is running in the upcoming election

In the upcoming election in the United Kingdom (UK), Steve Endacott appears to be the only human candidate running. He essentially represents an AI.

What election are we talking about here? Great Britain will elect a new House of Commons in July 2024. This House will decide on legislation and the national budget. It is the most decisive organ of British democracy in everyday life. It is made up of MPs from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.

So AI is on the ballot? No, not quite. The English entrepreneur Steve Endacott will be on the ballot, but behind him will be an AI and an avatar, AI Steve. So if he were elected, he would sit in parliament, but how he voted or how he behaved politically would be decided by the AI.

What does this have to do with Black Mirror? Black Mirror is a science fiction/dystopian series on Netflix. One episode deals with the story of the AI ​​comedy character Waldo, who gets involved in politics – with a variety of consequences.

The avatar is also expected to play an important role in the election campaign and interact with eligible voters. The Independent, a newspaper from England, has reported on this.

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AI Steve and Steve Endacott

Who is Steve Endacott? Endacott is an English entrepreneur and investor from Rochdale, a town in northwest England. Judging by his blog, he firmly believes in a future in which voice interaction with AI will play an important role in all areas of society. Before his partial retirement, his professional focus was on the travel industry.

What exactly should the AI ​​do? According to statements made by Steve Endacott during an interview with the Independent, he wants to provide access to the AI ​​24 hours a day, seven days a week. The suggestions selected by the AI ​​will be incorporated into Endacott’s political work through various stages, which also include volunteers from Rochdale.

What does AI Steve want to achieve? The quasi-spokesperson for AI, for example, demands:

  • 4-day week, because AIs “destroy many jobs”. Does the AI ​​see the irony here?
  • The capacity of English prisons is to be increased.
  • Abolition of a charge levied in London to reduce emissions from road traffic.
  • State social security should be expanded.
  • Transmitters on garbage collection vehicles to monitor adherence to routes. This is intended to prevent garbage containers from overflowing.
  • We are talking about reinventing democracy by allowing voters to interact directly with their representatives and tell them what they want – from the comfort of their own living rooms.

    Steve Endacott or AI Steve – or both, via Independent

    Let’s wait and see whether he will have more success with AI in realizing his political ambitions. In the last election in 2022, he only received 487 votes and thus missed the seat he was aiming for by a long way. Perhaps he will now triumph as the spokesman and executive arm of AI Steve.

    Speaking of artificial intelligence: Aside from politics, the multi-talented little helpers have long been an indispensable part of the story, but they are often also the villains in stories. In the case of the sci-fi strategy game Stellaris, both are true. The developers at Paradox Entertainment not only used one or two AI creations when creating the latest add-on “The Machine Age”, but also took machine intelligence to a completely new level in terms of narrative – as an enemy or as a friend.

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