Pennsylvania candidate tests AI chatbot as voter outreach tool in congressional campaign

A phone-banking tool powered entirely by artificial intelligence is getting its first real-world test in a Pennsylvania Democrat's congressional campaign. The chatbot, named Ashley, calls voters and engages in two-way, interactive conversations about candidate Shamaine Daniels, one of seven Democrats running so far in next year's primary. The voice tool from the startup Civox represents one of many ways AI technology is breaking into politics ahead of the 2024 campaigns, but experts say its direct contact with voters could threaten data security and has the potential to undermine voter trust. Daniels announced the partnership with Civox on Tuesday, saying the the first-of-its-kind political campaign tool had already completed more than 1,000 calls with likely Democratic primary voters in Pennsylvania's 10th House district, which includes the state capital, Harrisburg. Unlike other robocallers, Ashley doesn't use canned responses or give call recipients a menu of options.