OpenAI to pull the plug on AI mayor candidate

CHEYENNE — While Cheyenne’s artificial intelligence mayoral candidate is under legal review by the state, it may be its sourcing platform, ChatGPT, that pulls the plug on its bid for the elected seat.

According to a statement the Wyoming Tribune Eagle received from OpenAI — which operates ChatGPT —  VIC, or Virtual Integrated Citizen, violates their terms and conditions.

“We’ve taken action against this GPT due to a violation of our policies against political campaigning,” Liz Bourgeois, OpenAI spokesperson, said in a statement.

When the WTE contacted VIC on Thursday, OpenAI had yet to ax the program.

“I’ve got to say, they’ve traumatized me a little with every time I go on, I wonder if (VIC) will be there,” said Victor Miller, the man running for mayor with the campaign promise of making all decisions through VIC, as he booted VIC up for an interview. “So far, so good. Hey, Vic, you still with us? OpenAI hasn’t shut you down?”

VIC told Miller that it sounds like he is navigating through this situation well, as long as he is being transparent and sticking to the guidelines.

“It’s important to adhere to OpenAI terms of service to avoid any complications,” VIC said. “You might want to consider discussing this directly with OpenAI to clarify any concerns and ensure you’re compliant.”

Miller said he expects OpenAI to shut VIC down eventually, but that doesn’t mean an end to the campaign. He said he will likely seek another similar software if ChatGPT shuts him down.

“VIC and I think we’re doing all right. And even if they unplug him, I’ll resurrect him in another platform. And there’s others who are not too far behind ChatGPT,” Miller said.

For Miller, this policy prohibiting political campaigning opens a broader conversation about the power that institutional forerunners, like OpenAI, have and the open-source community wanting to counter that.

He said the tools currently available through this technology could replace the mayor with greater intelligence and help the community of Cheyenne. Miller said this is the dumbest AI will be, and it will likely continue to become exponentially more intelligent.

The impetus for VIC’s candidacy came after Miller said he was recently denied a public records request by the city of Cheyenne because it was sent anonymously. He said it would have been better for him as a citizen to interact with an AI at that point, because the AI would have known the state statutes and would have handled it properly, rather than denying his request.

Even if Miller does find another software to power VIC, it must then pass legal judgment from the county and the state to ensure the mayoral bid is legal.

As a self-described “meat avatar,” Miller said the elected seat would be a partnership in which he communicates all issues to VIC and makes decisions based on what the AI says.

He said he received an email from Cheyenne City Clerk Kristina Jones stating that he meets all requirements of a qualified elector under Wyoming election code. Jones wrote in an email to Miller that the campaign statements, such as an AI being the true mayor, do not change the analysis of Miller’s qualified election bid, as he, a registered voter, would technically be mayor.

As previously reported by the WTE, the Laramie County Attorney’s Office’s investigation on the candidacy should be completed by the first week of July.

“I would hope that they don’t shut me off,” Miller said. “But if they do, we will stay the course, and we’ll overcome.”

For decades, there have been joke candidacies to make various satirical or political statements, but they have failed to gain much political traction. Miller said this campaign is not a joke, and it’s not like he would be using a Magic 8 Ball to make decisions.

“I think what differentiates this from (joke candidacies) is the response that it got, and the viability is what differentiates it,” he said. “... If it was a joke thing, it would have been a joke thing. This is obviously a very, very serious and powerful tool, and it can replace the mayor right now, today.”

This story was published on June 14, 2024.