My local MP is an AI chat bot now

[thetapeworm]

My local MP, Mark Sewards (Labour), has cloned himself as a generative AI chat bot to handle day-to-day enquiries using tech a local company provides for a range of organisations.

https://www.neural-voice.ai/mark-sewards



The idea isn't going down too well so far but it makes some sense for processing enquiries he's already done copy and paste replies for but I'm not sure a lot of people will appreciate their personal information could be ingested and reused by the model.

https://x.com/MarkJSewards/status/1952752998582485...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Leeds/s/W00hCEgPP9

https://bsky.app/profile/markjsewards.bsky.social/...

If this catches on will PMs questions just end up with AI just arguing with other instances while a Google speaker makes groaning noises and heckles once in a while?

What could possibly go wrong?

Edited by thetapeworm on Wednesday 6th August 09:26

[biggbn]

If AI 'learns' from actual politicians and their contemporary and historic behaviour, it will corrupt itself in not time and find a way to stick its artificial snout in an artificial trough...

[Vanden Saab]

[Terminator X]

Looking forward to the day that AI bots are asking then answering all their own questions. How helpful, not.

TX.

[Getragdogleg]

Vanden Saab said:

He doesn't look old enough to vote...

[Vanden Saab]

Getragdogleg said:

Vanden Saab said:

He doesn't look old enough to vote...

They will be banning his site for underage content.

[M1AGM]

Its a customer services chatbot.

High irony readings.

[shed driver]

Getragdogleg said:

Vanden Saab said:

He doesn't look old enough to vote...

Maybe he's old enough to run a council though.

SD.

[Zetec-S]

Oh dear. Forgive the "political speak", but he really didn't think of the optics on this one. No matter how well intentioned the idea might be, he's going to take a lot of flak for this and will give his opponents plenty of cheap shots. How long until people are intentionally trolling the tool (and by tool I mean chatbot, not MP ) and posting amusing/embarrassing responses?

[Jasandjules]

What was he elected for then? Just elect a CPC 464?

[Wills2]

Zetec-S said:

Oh dear. Forgive the "political speak", but he really didn't think of the optics on this one. No matter how well intentioned the idea might be, he's going to take a lot of flak for this and will give his opponents plenty of cheap shots. How long until people are intentionally trolling the tool (and by tool I mean chatbot, not MP ) and posting amusing/embarrassing responses?

They will be all over it, incoming apology for my chat bots racist/sexist responses in 3 2 1...

[alangla]

To be fair, the bot is probably more capable of independent thought than the traditional Northern or Central Scotland Labour MP. Anyway, I thought Tony Blair had perfected the art of having hundreds of unquestioning drones lined up on the benches behind him?

[thetapeworm]

Jasandjules said:

What was he elected for then? Just elect a CPC 464?

He was mainly elected on the basis he wasn't Andrea Jenkyns, the rest is yet to be seen, he seems very keen on "big boy politics" involving global matters but can't be arsed to so anything about local stuff his own party at city level are screwing up.

I suspect he'll be replaced by Reform, we'll probably wish we had the AI back not long after this.

[thetapeworm]

The BBC have picked this one up now with a video of it in use, spoiler alert, it ends with the chap saying "this is weird innit"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5pr3q6lrpo

[Evanivitch]

Given how few people know the difference between their local councillors, county councillors, senedd members, and members of parliament that represent them and the scope each one has to help, I think this is a perfectly valid tool. Add in the repetitive nature of many local campaigns against X and Y filling inboxes.

As well as people complaining about the cost of democracy, these sort of things can help.

But obviously if it's a barrier to access and people simply stop engaging, or the other side that the MP takes no notice of trends that are being tended to by the bot, then it is likely to fail.

[hidetheelephants]

Isn't this what they have office staff for, answering or at least screening routine enquiries from constituents?

[E63eeeeee...]

Terminator X said:

Looking forward to the day that AI bots are asking then answering all their own questions. How helpful, not.

TX.

You can just go on LinkedIn's Jobs section for that.

Or Twitter.

[Rivenink]

So... if the Party Whip is telling him how to vote... and AI is handling his constituents concerns... what the fk is he being paid to do?

[Arrivalist]

Vanden Saab said:

Is that Rufus?

[Slow.Patrol]

Imagine the day when an MPs voting intention is decided by his constituents.

In fact, why not cut out the middle man and use online voting for all policies.