Victor Miller, a resident of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has filed to run for mayor with an unconventional arrangement: he will relinquish control to an AI chatbot named VIC (Virtual Integrated Citizen) if elected[1][2][4]. Miller believes VIC, which was created by a team including himself, has superior intellect and legal acumen compared to human officials[1][2].

However, the legality of this arrangement is being questioned. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray argues that only a "qualified elector," which necessitates being a real person, is eligible to run for office[1][2][3]. Gray has urged the county clerk to reject Miller's application, stating that using a fictitious name like "VIC" violates Wyoming law[2][5].

Cheyenne City Clerk Kristina Jones, who certified VIC's campaign, respectfully disagrees with Gray's conclusion[5]. She argues that since Miller, a qualified elector, is the actual candidate using VIC as a persona, the campaign is legitimate[5]. The Laramie County Attorney's office is investigating the matter, and a decision is expected by early July when ballot documents are due[2][3].

Sources [1] Wyoming mayoral candidate wants to govern by AI bot https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/06/wyoming-mayoral-candidate-wants-to-govern-by-ai-bot/ [2] AI-Generated Candidate Files to Run for Office in Wyoming https://www.govtech.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-generated-candidate-files-to-run-for-office-in-wyoming [3] Authorities Investigating AI Running for Mayor in Wyoming - Futurism https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-investigation-running-mayor-wyoming [4] AI-powered candidate running for mayor in Wyoming - New York Post https://nypost.com/2024/06/12/us-news/ai-powered-candidate-running-for-mayor-in-wyoming/ [5] Cheyenne City Clerk Says Artificial Intelligence… | Cowboy State Daily https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/06/13/cheyenne-clerk-says-vic-states-first-ai-candidate-is-ok-for-election/ [6] 'A new one for us': Wyoming officials, artificial intelligence ... https://oilcity.news/community/feature/2024/06/14/a-new-one-for-us-wyoming-officials-artificial-intelligence-researcher-weigh-in-on-cheyennes-ai-mayoral-candidate/