Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign has addressed speculation that she may use AI to prepare for her debate with former President Donald Trump.
The Harris-Waltz campaign confirmed to Semafor.com that they will not be using an AI-generated version of Trump to prepare for the debate, instead employing traditional human stand-ins.
The clarification came after it was revealed that tech companies are aggressively pitching AI-related products to political campaigns across the country, with one such company approaching the Biden campaign with a proposal to create an AI version of Trump for debate practice, according to a New York Times podcast.
“One of the companies that I spoke to actually approached the Biden campaign about building an AI version of Trump and having Biden practice debates with Trump to prepare for the debate,” the podcast host said.
What might an AI-generated version of a politician look like? One example is Vic, or Virtual Integrated Citizen, a custom ChatGPT bot created by Victor Miller, mayoral candidate for Cheyenne, Wyoming.
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 9, 2024. The Harris-Waltz campaign said they did not use an AI-generated version of Trump to prepare for the debates. US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 9, 2024. The Harris-Waltz campaign said they did not use an AI-generated version of Trump to prepare for the debates. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Miller filed to run as a joint candidate with his custom chatbot, but Vick and Victor received just 327 votes out of a final tally of 11,036.
When it comes to using AI in debate preparation, the Harris campaign is treading cautiously: “Currently, the only uses of generative AI permitted by the campaign are productivity tools, such as data analysis and industry-standard coding assistants,” Mia Ellenberg, a spokesperson for Harris-Waltz, told Semaphore.
This cautious approach is consistent with the findings of a recent report by the University of Texas at Austin's Center for Media Engagement. “The Political Machine: Understanding the Role of Generative AI in the U.S. 2024 Election and Beyond,” the study found that while AI is accelerating data analysis and content generation in political marketing, many campaigns remain wary of its advanced applications.
But the report also indicates that some political experts see potential in AI's ability to enhance targeted messaging and fundraising efforts.
“Today, many people don't even A/B test subject lines because by the time the results are in, the topic is no longer relevant,” said one political AI vendor interviewed for the study.
A/B testing is a way to compare multiple instances of a single variable – testing user responses to variant A versus variant B to see whether A or B is more effective.
Despite the Harris campaign's current stance, experts expect interest in AI tools to grow as the election season progresses.
“I expect that this summer some of the new AI political companies that have been founded in the last six months will visit Kamala's campaign to see if she wants to work with them,” the New York Times podcast predicted.
