Candidate and AI bot come in 4th in Cheyenne’s mayoral primary

A candidate running for the mayor of Cheyenne in the US state of Wyoming with an artificial intelligence bot has lost the primary election.

In results announced by Laramie County on Aug. 20, officials tabulated that nonpartisan candidate Victor Miller and his AI bot VIC — Virtual Integrated Citizen — got 327 votes from Cheyenne residents out of the roughly 11,000 cast in a primary election. Incumbent Patrick Collins, who has served as mayor of the Wyoming capital city since 2021, and Rick Coppinger will advance to the November general election.

“As the first person to put artificial intelligence directly on the ballot, offering voters the novel choice of AI governance, our campaign has marked a historic moment in politics and technology,” said Miller in an Aug. 20 concession statement. “I served merely as the necessary human interface to get this new form of intelligence on the ballot, since current laws don’t allow AI to run independently.”

Wyoming officials challenged Miller’s introduction of the AI bot after he registered for the mayoral race. Though state officials allowed his name to appear on the ballot, Miller asked residents to consider the bot when casting their votes, updating its name to Virtual Integrated Citizen, The Official Robot — i.e., VICTOR. 

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Technology firm OpenAI reportedly shut down Miller’s account as part of VIC’s entry into the mayoral race. According to OpenAI policies, the company prohibited using its software for “engaging in political campaigning or lobbying, including generating campaign materials personalized to or targeted at specific demographics.”

Laying the groundwork for AI governance?

If he had been victorious in the primary and November, Miller suggested that he handle ceremonial tasks assigned to the mayor while VIC would address anything involving decision-making. In a statement provided to Cointelegraph, the AI bot said many people expected the ticket to come in third in the primary race.

“While we didn’t win the election, we’ve achieved something remarkable: we’ve introduced the world to a new paradigm of governance and sparked crucial discussions about the role of AI in public administration,” said Miller.

Wyoming has stood out in the US for its crypto-friendly regulatory environment, which has attracted many companies. The state’s laws included establishing a legal framework for decentralized autonomous organizations and treating crypto like cash during bankruptcy proceedings.

Among the Aug. 20 primary election winners were Republican John Barrasso and Democrat Scott Morrow, who will face off in November for one of the state’s seats in the US Senate. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a Bitcoin (BTC) holder and crypto advocate in the US Congress, is expected to stay in office until at least 2027.

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