The first AI candidate challenges UK politics in a groundbreaking election run. "I am setting up my own party after growing disillusioned with how much the others are out of contact with the UK population."

A candidate created by artificial intelligence is running in the upcoming UK Parliament elections. Is this the path to real direct democracy?

The parliamentary elections for the House of Commons will be held in the United Kingdom on July 4. Polls indicate that, after 14 years in power, the Conservatives will likely lose to the opposition Labour Party. However, this is not the only change that could emerge from these elections. They might also mark the first time an AI-created candidate wins a mandate.

Behind Steve AI's avatar is Steve Endacott, an entrepreneur from southern England. However, he does not decide what policies the avatar will advocate for in the House of Commons, representing the Brighton Pavilion constituency. Instead, the constituency's residents determine Steve's political promises and voting behavior.

On the dedicated campaign website, AI Steve invites users to join the team of "creators" who will help shape new policies. Potential voters can do this by clicking the "Talk to AI Steve" option and filling in personal information before interacting with the virtual avatar.

Steve's supporters can also review his proposals. The avatar asks them to "devote just a few minutes a week" to act as a control mechanism and "act as a control mechanism to prevent silly policies." They can do this by rating each policy suggestion posted on the site on a scale of one to ten points. This interaction is available to people from the virtual candidate's constituency, and their residency is verified on the website.

Steve's election program will include policies that receive more than 50% support. Most importantly, if elected to parliament, he will vote as the voters determine who can hold him accountable in real-time on the website ai-steve.co.uk. Accepted proposals so far include improving the cycling infrastructure in the region, implementing a four-day workweek, and increasing the number of places in the local prison to "firmly fight against crime."

In a post on LinkedIn, Steve Endacott wrote:

"I am setting up my own party after growing disillusioned with how much the others are out of contact with the UK population."

He emphasized that Steve AI is a project not just for AI enthusiasts: "You don’t have to know anything about AI as all you do is press a button to talk the character."

If Endacott is elected, he will be "physically" present in parliament, voting on policy based on direct feedback received through his AI platform.