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AI revolution -

Rapid AI advancements have transformed how we use technology in our everyday lives. Industries such as customer service, finance, and health care have already felt a significant impact

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Who runs the world? -

But what happens when artificial intelligence enters the political realm? This may seem like science fiction, but AI's impact on politics could be closer than we realize.

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AI in politics -

A 2021 survey uncovered surprising public support for AI involvement in government.

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Europeans' approval -

The idea of AI-driven leadership is gaining traction across various countries. In fact, many Europeans support the idea of AI taking over certain political roles.

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China is onboard -

When it comes to AI in politics, China is leading the charge. Chinese respondents showed even stronger support for AI in policymaking.

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Survey -

Researchers at IE University's Center for the Governance of Change (CGC) surveyed 2,769 individuals across 11 countries.

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Data privacy -

The researchers found that some people were surprisingly open to the idea of AI-powered government, even though it would involve the AI models accessing their personal data.

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EU results -

Despite the technology's current limitations, a majority of Europeans (51%) expressed interest in replacing some elected officials with AI.

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Chinese results -

This sentiment was even stronger in China, where 75% of respondents favored the idea.

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US results -

However, the United States showed a different perspective, with 60% of Americans opposing the notion of AI-driven political representation.

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Lack of trust -

Oscar Jonsson, a lead researcher on the report and the academic director at CGC, highlighted that trust in democracy has been steadily declining for decades.

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Us vs. them -

He links this erosion to several factors, including rising political polarization, the spread of misinformation within "filter bubbles," and the growing fragmentation of information sources.

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Too distant -

The study results suggest that widespread dissatisfaction with how politics address local and global issues, coupled with a sense of distance and inaccessibility from human politicians, played a significant role. Jonsson highlighted this, noting that many people are unsure who their representatives even are.

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Already in use -

AI may not yet serve as a full political representative, but it is already playing a key role in supporting campaigns. In 2024, Peter Dixon's campaign used an AI-powered virtual assistant named Jennifer to make thousands of calls to California voters, encouraging them to vote for Dixon in the March 5th primary.

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Bot campaign -

Unlike human callers, Jennifer, developed by the start-up Civox, reportedly operated nonstop without fatigue or mistakes.

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AI-generated content -

Dixon's campaign incorporated AI-generated content in its videos, sparking broader conversations about the evolving role of AI in media production within the political landscape.

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The deepfake threat -

As nations worldwide are cautiously exploring AI's potential, one major concern is the rise of deepfake technology, which poses serious threats not just to privacy and reputations, but to democracy itself.

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The deepfake threat -

With realistic videos that can feature avatars closely resembling political candidates, deepfakes can depict them saying outrageous things, getting caught in compromising situations, or even inciting conflict with other countries—risks that could escalate quickly and have disastrous consequences.

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The deepfake threat -

This 2022 image captures the creation of "AI Yoon," a digital avatar of South Korean presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. Developed by the opposition People Power Party, this strikingly realistic digital double showcases the impressive advancements in deepfake technology.

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Robot president? -

In 2017, a chatbot named Alisa was nominated by 40,000 Russians to challenge Vladimir Putin for the presidency. Meanwhile, another chatbot, Sam, ran for office in New Zealand. Denmark and Japan have also experimented with chatbot-led political initiatives.

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Pros -

While the idea of replacing human politicians with AI might seem far-fetched, especially given the skepticism expressed by many Americans in the CGC survey, some experts argue it has certain advantages.

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Greedless and effective -

Unlike humans, chatbots are immune to the temptations of money, power, or personal fame. They don't need rest, can engage with countless people at once, and have the ability to analyze vast amounts of information and deliver advanced insights.

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Cons -

However, chatbot politicians would have the same problems as today's AI. It would be hard to understand how they make decisions because they work like "black boxes." They could sometimes make things up or give wrong answers, known as hallucinations.

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Who's behind it? -

They would also have security problems, need a lot of power to run, and always need to be connected to the internet. Plus, they could be biased because of the information they were trained on and the people who created them.

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AI representatives -

Physicist César Hidalgo believes AI could eventually replace politicians entirely. He proposes that citizens program AI agents to represent their political views, enabling these agents to negotiate and draft laws.

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Power dynamics -

However, the challenge is that the experts who design these AI systems could gain significant power, potentially establishing a new form of authority instead of eliminating it.

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Time to think -

UNESCO Chair in AI Ethics & Governance and Assistant Professor of Philosophy at IE University, Theodore Lechterman notes that while this idea isn't practical in the short term, it raises important questions about the role of humans in politics.

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Still human -

He stresses that human values, not just political ones, and the ability to engage in meaningful dialogue are essential, even in a world dominated by AI. He raises the important question, "What values—such as autonomy, responsibility, or deliberation—must we preserve in an age of automation, and how?"

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Joining forces -

Lechterman ultimately believes that the future of AI in politics isn't about completely replacing human leaders, but about thoughtfully integrating AI to amplify human abilities and strengthen democratic institutions. "If this is the future we want, we must be intentional about building it," he emphasizes.

Sources: (The Conversation) (CNBC)

See also: A third of Americans would consider doing therapy with AI. Would you?

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