Newcastle technology company Uptivity has been making headlines with its innovative proposal to field an AI-powered candidate in the upcoming British general election. However, their application has been denied by the Electoral Commission.
According to Ash Nehmet, Uptivity’s R&D manager, this idea stemmed from his frustration with traditional politicians. “I listen to political interviews on the radio, and I just zone out. I don’t hear anything inspiring, just meaningless sentences when I want honest solutions,” he explains.
As a technology company, Uptivity saw an opportunity to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create a more efficient and effective politician. “We could create an AI member of parliament, with the perspective of the constituency’s average person,” says Nehmet. This AI politician, named Justin Sell, would use data from both men and women to represent the views of the general public in parliament. It would also be available to constituents 24/7 and would not claim any expenses.
However, the idea of an AI politician has raised questions about what it would look like and how it would function. Nehmet clarifies that initially, Justin Sell would be a head on an iPad, but eventually, they plan to use his MP salary to create a humanoid. They also aim to develop Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI) to give Justin the ability to experience and express emotions.
When asked about the inspiration behind the name Justin Sell, Nehmet explains, “Justin Sell is just a play on JustSell, our B2B ecommerce platform. And the name could become Justine when it became a woman.”
Despite the denial from the Electoral Commission, Uptivity remains determined to continue their work in the field of AI. “We’ll concentrate on developing what we call Applied AI (AAI), which is real-world, everyday applications of AI,” says Nehmet. Their current focus is on their applications MaintanPad and JustSell, but they have not ruled out the possibility of exploring other areas in the future.
For media inquiries, please contact Ash Nehmet at a.nehmet@uptivity.co.uk or +44 0191 432 5532. Uptivity is located at G15, Biz Space, Amber Court, Newcastle Business Park, William Armstrong Road, Ne4 7YA, UK. Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/.
