Victor Miller, a nonpartisan candidate for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has taken a bold and unconventional approach to his campaign. Instead of a traditional political platform, Miller is proposing a hybrid leadership model where an artificial intelligence bot, named “VIC” (Virtual Integrated Citizen), would handle the majority of city governance tasks.
In his recent speech, Miller outlined his vision: if elected, he would be the ceremonial face of the city while VIC, the AI bot, would manage day-to-day decision-making processes such as signing bills into law. Miller believes that the AI’s data-driven insights and unbiased decisions would lead to more efficient and effective governance.
However, Miller’s innovative campaign has faced significant challenges. Technology firm OpenAI suspended Miller’s account after he used its software for VIC, citing violations of its policy against political campaigning. Despite this setback, Miller quickly created a new account to continue his campaign.
State officials have also raised concerns about VIC’s role in the election, arguing that only registered voters can run for office. Consequently, Miller’s name is the only one that will appear on the ballot to avoid voter confusion.
As Cheyenne residents prepare to vote in the primary election on August 20, Miller remains optimistic. He has pledged to donate half of his mayoral salary to a nonprofit and use the other half to further develop VIC. His campaign represents a unique experiment in blending artificial intelligence with human leadership, sparking both curiosity and debate about the future of AI in politics.
