AI Throws its Digital Hat into the UK Parliamentary Ring

“There’s an AI Candidate Running for Parliament in the UK”

“Just when you thought politics couldn’t get any stranger during the age of coronavirus, something even more unbelievable happens. This time it’s less to do with what humans are up to and more about the machines we create.” In this surprisingly uncanny phase of global politics, we hit a new high or perhaps, a new low. Brace yourselves, for the star of the show is none other PR contender than the AI who’s running for parliament in the UK. Surely, it won’t be late until we see a Roomba run for President.

Consider the politics of today and we wouldn’t bat an eyelid. An AI running for parliament you say? Well, that’s just the nanny removing the toys to show who’s boss. This audacious move reckons the dawn of an era where the line between human judgment and artificial intelligence continually blurs. Take that for an episode of Black Mirror in real life.

Admittedly, the concept of AI entering politics is as intriguing as it is chilling. Welcome aboard, ladies and gents, we’ve officially entered the twilight zone. The automatons aren’t just taking over factory jobs, nor content with driving our cars. They now aspire to rise through the ranks of politics. Makes you wonder, will they be content with just one seat, or are we looking at a silicon takeover?

Moving from the tech labs to the town halls, this AI, Michihito Matsuda, isn’t your regular, run-of-the-mill kind of Robo. It is chock-full of claims about transparency and untainted by human bias. The question then sneaks in like a quiet shadow – will this method even work? Let’s paint this picture. An AI in a parliament, a haven of decisions, disputes, and – shockingly – emotions. Are we ready for this science experiment?

The creators have marketed this bot as a pristine politician, but can we just take their word for it? And, equally important, how much transparency can we expect from a country notoriously known for its love for spy dramas and espionage? Say, isn’t politics all about the art of the possible, coupled with a pinch of charisma and a mountain of promises?

Having an AI run for Parliament could be a testament to how far we’ve come–or how far we’ve fallen, depending on your lens. While it stirs a titillating cocktail of progress and dystopia, it can solicit a significant reconsideration of the human roles in government. If it wins, maybe the silver lining is that it can’t engage in Twitter warfare or be corruptible. Right?

Welcome to the future, folks, the game of politics has a new kid on the block. Future elections might just need an upgrade from the ‘old tech’ energy to, quite literally, high-tech joviality. If nothing else, it makes for a great water cooler joke – Did you hear the one about the AI that ran for Parliament?

Read the original article here: https://www.wired.com/story/ai-candidate-running-for-parliament-uk/