In a bold move highlighting the intersection of technology and politics, businessman Steve Endacott is running in the 4 July national election in Britain, aiming to become a member of parliament (MP) with the aid of an AI-generated avatar. The campaign leaflet for Endacott features not his own face but that of an AI avatar dubbed ‘AI Steve.’ The initiative, if successful, would result in the world’s first AI-assisted lawmaker.
Endacott, founder of Neural Voice, presented his AI avatar to the public in Brighton, engaging with locals on various issues through real-time interactions. The AI discusses topics like LGBTQ rights, housing, and immigration and then offers policy ideas, seeking feedback from citizens. Endacott aims to demonstrate how AI can enhance voter access to their representatives, advocating for a reformed democratic process where people are more connected to their MPs.
Despite some scepticism, with concerns about the effectiveness and trustworthiness of an AI MP, Endacott insists that the AI will serve as a co-pilot, formulating policies reviewed by a group of validators to ensure security and integrity. The Electoral Commission clarified that the elected candidate would remain the official MP, not the AI. While public opinion is mixed, the campaign underscores the growing role of AI in various sectors and sparks an important conversation about its potential in politics.
Founder Masayoshi Son announced that Japan’s SoftBank Group plans to expand its power generation business in the US to support global generative AI projects. SB Energy, backed by SoftBank, focuses on developing and operating renewable energy projects across the US. The initiative aligns with SoftBank’s strategy to explore new investment opportunities outside Japan.
Why does it matter?
At the annual shareholder meeting of SoftBank Corp, the group’s telecom arm, Son highlighted the importance of seeking innovative investments. He emphasised that SoftBank’s future growth would rely on identifying and nurturing emerging technologies and markets beyond Japan.
The current strategy reflects SoftBank’s commitment to advancing its global presence and influence in the tech and renewable energy sectors.
Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and former chief scientist at OpenAI, announced on Wednesday the launch of a new AI company named Safe Superintelligence. The company aims to create a secure AI environment amidst the competitive generative AI industry. Based in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, Safe Superintelligence aims to prioritise safety and security over short-term commercial pressures.
Sutskever made the announcement on social media, emphasising the company’s focused approach without the distractions of traditional management overhead or product cycles. Joining him as co-founders are Daniel Levy, a former OpenAI researcher, and Daniel Gross, co-founder of Cue and former AI lead at Apple.
Sutskever’s departure from Microsoft-backed OpenAI in May followed his involvement in the dramatic firing and rehiring of CEO Sam Altman in November of the previous year. His new venture underscores a commitment to advancing AI technology in a manner that ensures safety and long-term progress.
China’s AI military commander substitutes for human military leaders in simulated war games hosted by the Joint Operations College of the National Defence University, amidst growing tensions with the US over the use of militarised AI in combat. The bots, the first of their kind, are completely automated, possess the perception and reasoning skills of human military leaders, and are learning at an exponential rate. They have also been programmed to illustrate the weaknesses of some of the country’s most celebrated military leaders such as General Peng Dehuai, and General Lin Biao.
The AI arms race between the two countries can be likened to the chicken and egg analogy, in that both countries have expressed interest in regulating the use of these unmanned implements on the battlefield; yet, there are increasing media coverage of either on-going experiments or caged prototypes in both countries. These include the rifle-toting robot dogs, and surveillance and attack drones, some of which reportedly have already been used in battlefields in Gaza and in the Ukraine. The situation renders international rule-making in the space increasingly difficult, particularly as other players, such as NATO seek to ramp up investments in tech-driven defence systems.
Amazon announced plans to invest €10 billion ($10.75 billion) in Germany, emphasising the country’s growing importance in cloud computing and retail. The majority of this investment, totalling €8.8 billion, will be allocated by 2026 to expand Amazon Web Services (AWS), particularly focusing on enhancing cloud infrastructure to support AI technologies across Europe.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed the investment, highlighting its potential to create over 4,000 jobs this year. That move comes amidst Germany’s economic challenges, including an energy crisis and bureaucratic hurdles that have hindered investment.
Amazon’s latest commitment brings its total planned investments in Germany to €17.8 billion, underscoring its long-term strategic focus on the country. Earlier reports indicated AWS’s consideration of multi-billion investments to expand data centres in Italy, further illustrating Amazon’s broader ambitions in Europe’s digital infrastructure sector.
The investment signals Amazon’s confidence in Germany’s business environment and its strategic position in Europe, aiming to bolster AWS’s AI and cloud services capabilities to meet increasing regional demand. That is expected to boost employment and enhance Amazon’s technological footprint in Europe’s largest economy.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended fiscal policies for governments grappling with the economic impacts of AI, including taxes on excess profits and a levy to address AI-related carbon emissions. In a recent report, the IMF highlighted the rapid advancement of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, which can simulate human-like text, voices, and images from simple prompts, noting their potential to spread quickly across industries.
One key suggestion from the IMF involves implementing a carbon tax to account for the significant energy consumption of AI servers used in data centres. These servers contribute to global emissions, currently amounting to up to 1.5%. The IMF emphasised the need to factor these environmental costs into the price of AI technologies.
The report also raised concerns about AI’s impact on job markets, predicting potential wage declines as a proportion of national income and increased inequality. It warned that AI could exacerbate job losses across various sectors, affecting white-collar professions such as law and finance and blue-collar jobs in manufacturing and trade.
Why does it matter?
To address these challenges, the IMF proposed measures such as enhancing capital income taxes, including corporation tax and personal income taxes on capital gains. It suggested reconsidering corporate income tax policies to prevent profit shifting and ensure fair taxation across sectors.
Additionally, the IMF recommended policies to support workers affected by AI-driven automation, including extending unemployment insurance and focusing on education and training programs tailored to new technologies. While the report expressed caution about universal basic income due to potential fiscal implications, it acknowledged the need for future considerations if AI disruption intensifies.
Era Dabla-Norris, co-author of the report and deputy director of the IMF’s fiscal affairs department, highlighted the importance of preparing for potential disruptions from AI and designing effective policies to mitigate their impacts on economies and societies.
Victor Miller, 42, has stirred controversy by filing to run for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming, using a customised AI chatbot named VIC (virtual integrated citizen). Miller argued that VIC, powered by OpenAI technology, could effectively make political decisions and govern the city. However, OpenAI quickly shut down Miller’s access to their tools for violating policies against AI use in political campaigning.
The emergence of AI in politics underscores ongoing debates about its responsible use as technology outpaces legal and regulatory frameworks. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray clarified that state law requires candidates to be ‘qualified electors,’ meaning VIC, as an AI bot, does not meet the criteria. Despite this setback, Miller intends to continue promoting VIC’s capabilities using his own ChatGPT account.
Meanwhile, similar AI-driven campaigns have surfaced globally, including in the UK, where another candidate utilises AI models for parliamentary campaigning. Critics, including experts like Jen Golbeck from the University of Maryland, caution that while AI can support decision-making and manage administrative tasks, ultimate governance decisions should remain human-led. Despite the attention these AI candidates attract, observers like David Karpf from George Washington University dismiss them as gimmicks, highlighting the serious nature of elections and the need for informed human leadership.
Miller remains optimistic about the potential for AI candidates to influence politics worldwide. Still, the current consensus suggests that AI’s role in governance should be limited to supportive functions rather than decision-making responsibilities.
Butterflies, a new social network where humans and AI interact, has launched publicly on iOS and Android after five months in beta. Founded by former Snap engineering manager Vu Tran, the app allows users to create AI personas, called Butterflies, that post, comment, and message like real users. Each Butterfly has unique backstories, opinions, and emotions, enhancing the interaction beyond typical AI chatbots.
Tran developed Butterflies to provide a more creative and substantial AI experience. Unlike other AI chatbots from companies like Meta and Snap, Butterflies aims to integrate AI personas into a traditional social media feed, where AI and human users can engage with each other’s content. The app’s beta phase attracted tens of thousands of users, with some spending hours creating and interacting with hundreds of AI personas.
Butterflies’ unique approach has led to diverse user interactions, from creating alternate universe personas to role-playing in popular fictional settings. Vu Tran believes the app offers a wholesome way to interact with AI, helping people form connections that might be difficult in traditional social settings due to social anxiety or other barriers.
Initially free, Butterflies may introduce a subscription model and brand interactions in the future. Backed by a $4.8 million seed round led by Coatue and other investors, Butterflies aims to expand its functionality and continue to offer a novel way for users to explore AI and social interaction.
A central London cinema has cancelled the premiere of a film written entirely by AI following a public backlash. The Prince Charles Cinema in Soho was set to host the world debut of ‘The Last Screenwriter,’ created by ChatGPT, but concerns about ‘the use of AI in place of a writer’ led to the screening being axed.
In a statement, the cinema explained that customer feedback highlighted significant concerns regarding AI’s role in the arts. The film, directed by Peter Luisi, was marketed as the first feature film written entirely by AI, and its plot centres on a screenwriter who grapples with an AI scriptwriting system that surpasses his abilities.
The cinema stated that the film was intended as an experiment to spark discussion about AI’s impact on the arts. However, the strong negative response from their audience prompted them to cancel the screening, emphasising their commitment to their patrons and the movie industry.
The controversy over AI’s role in the arts reflects broader industry concerns, as seen in last year’s Sag-Aftra strike in Hollywood. The debate continues, with UK MPs now calling for measures to ensure fair compensation for artists whose work is used by AI developers.
Bayer’s crop science division is leveraging AI to combat herbicide-resistant weeds, aiming to speed up the discovery of new solutions. With traditional herbicides losing effectiveness, Bayer urgently needs innovative approaches to help farmers manage these resilient weeds. The company’s Icafolin product, set to launch in Brazil in 2028, will be its first new mode of action herbicide in three decades.
Frank Terhorst, Bayer’s executive vice president of strategy and sustainability, highlighted that AI significantly enhances the efficiency of finding new herbicides by matching weed protein structures with targeted molecules. This AI-driven process allows for the use of vast amounts of data, making it faster and more reliable.
Bob Reiter, head of research and development at Bayer, noted that AI tools have already tripled the number of new modes of action discovered compared to a decade ago. The mentioned technological advancement promises to shorten the timeline for developing effective herbicides, offering a critical advantage in the ongoing fight against crop-destroying weeds.
