Meet SAM, the world's first virtual politician on Facebook Messenger

An entrepreneur in New Zealand, Nick Gerritsen has developed the world's first virtual politician that listens to people and responds to their questions with facts.

The virtual politician named SAM is an AI chatbot on Facebook Messenger that not only answers people’s questions related to New Zealand's policies around housing, education, and immigration but wishes to run as a candidate in next general elections in the country too.

Gerritsen said, "There is a lot of bias in the 'analog' practice of politics right now. There seems to be so much existing bias that countries around the world seem unable to address fundamental and multiple complex issues like climate change and equality."

Engadget reported that 'SAM' does not currently hold any office, nor could it likely legally run for one, under current laws — and her conversations are still very limited. But she’s an experiment to create a representative that listens to people and responds to their questions with facts.

The report further said, "Currently, you can ask her about a number of New Zealand’s issues from a pre-selected list of topics, though Sam’s capability will theoretically grow the more public opinion she ingests."  The AI politician is constantly learning to respond to people through Facebook Messenger as well as a survey on its homepage.

Gerritsen says that the system may not be perfect, he hopes that it may help bridge the growing political and cultural tensions in many countries. Gerritsen hopes that SAM, an AI chatbot could be allowed to run New Zealand's elections in 2020.