Global Courant
A 2024 Republican nominee deploys a digital doppelgänger created with artificial intelligence, and his political allies hope the clone could be a first-of-its-kind “campaign surrogate” that could one day even do media interviews.
A fundraising group affiliated with the presidential campaign of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has rolled out an audio and video lookalike of the conservative leader answering questions from voters about his political stances.
“We wanted to do something that would differentiate him from the rest of the crew running for president,” SOS America PAC spokesman Chapin Fay told Fox News Digital. “You know, we have to. All the candidates are trying to get their jobs and stand out, and I think this is one way we can do that for Mayor Suarez.”
Fay described Suarez as a technology leader after making headlines for paying at least part of his salary in Bitcoin.
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Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican presidential candidate, has an AI doppelgänger to address voters. (Getty Images)
His digital lookalike imagines as “AI Francis Suarez” in a greeting message, to potential voters: “You’ve probably heard that my namesake, conservative Miami mayor Francis Suarez, is running for president.
“I’m here to answer any questions you may have about Mayor Suarez’s proven schedule for economic prosperity, austerity and support for our police. So, how can I help?” the bot asks. It then offers more AI Suarez videos describing his various positions based on vocal cues from users.
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The PAC official noted that AI Suarez’s current scope is somewhat “limited” but described that it would one day take on a larger role in the campaign.
The AI Suarez urges voters to ask questions about the candidate’s stance on various issues. (SOS America PAC)
“We are continuing to refine AI Francis Suarez where as of now he is limited in scope. The questions he answers, as we get more questions from voters, the AI will update Suarez and be able to answer different questions. So we are of plan to strengthen that tool,” Fay said.
“We are also going to use AI Suarez as a surrogate, so to speak, on the campaign trail.
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AI has already played an important role in the early stages of the busy GOP primary race. Pictured: Republican leader Donald Trump. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“As it gets smarter, we can roll it out further and wider. So, you know, we envision him one day, maybe even an interview with the press,” Fay continued. “But certainly being able to communicate with voters and on social media in between.”
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He did not name a specific price tag for the project, stating only that the cost was “nominal”.
Suarez’s AI bot is the latest example of the rapidly advancing technology playing a role in US elections. AI has already been used to create campaign ads and social media posts, fueling concerns that it will become more difficult for voters to separate reality from fabrication.
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for Fox News Digital.
