Artificial intelligence made a historic entry into the political arena in the UK general election 2024, with AI Steve, an innovative candidate, running for office in the Brighton Pavilion constituency. Despite its groundbreaking approach, the AI-driven candidate garnered only 179 votes, representing 0.3% of the total.
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AI Steve, launched by Steve Endacott, a renowned businessman, was developed by the Neural Voice company. The AI Steve assistant was created to provide constituents with constant access, to respond to their concerns in real-time, and to provide policy recommendations.
AI Steve’s campaign struggles to gain traction
AI Steve was designed to transform the way politicians interact with the public and engage voters and it had the capacity for 10,000 conversations at once. Mr. Endacott, disappointed with the traditional politics, considered AI Steve as the viable option to overcome the shortcomings of the human politicians.
The campaign, however, failed to gain much momentum and support. While AI Steve made history as the first artificial intelligence candidate in UK elections, its unique approach did not resonate widely with voters. Steve Endacott faced a decisive defeat to the Green Party’s Sian Berry.
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The Brighton Pavilion constituency saw a decisive victory for Sian Berry of the Green Party who won by over 28,000 votes. While giving her victory speech, Berry appreciated the people who voted for her and the volunteers who helped her in the campaign saying that she will fight for their rights in the Parliament.
“What an incredible night. Thank you, Brighton Pavilion! And a huge thank you to all the volunteers who have worked so hard to earn every single vote we got. I can’t wait to get to Parliament so I can take your all of your voices with me and hold this new Government to account.”
Sian Berry
Earlier, the Electoral Commission, the UK elections watchdog, explained that if the AI Steve were to emerge victorious, it would be Steve Endacott who would be sitting in the parliament, not the AI.
Labour Party ends Conservative rule in major power shift
The UK General Election was characterized by a major shift of power where the Labour Party clinched victory. This victory marked the end of more than a decade of Conservative rule; hence, the Labour Party’s leader, Keir Starmer, became the new prime minister.
Labour’s victory also pointed to the public desire for politicians with experience and human touch who can manage the affairs of the country and tackle its challenges. AI Steve’s loss is a clear indication that, despite the increasing rate of technological developments, people still require interpersonal relationships and an understanding of politics.
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The UK election was a highly watched event not only for the conventional political rivalry but also for the unusual candidates. Alongside prominent figures like Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, the ballot featured a host of whimsical personalities, including Count Binface, Elmo from the Muppets, and AI Steve. More than 4,500 candidates participated in the election for 650 seats in the parliament.
Cryptopolitan Reporting by Brenda Kanana
