MacVoices #24086: MVL - Can AI Chatbots Be Effective In Political Campaigns?

While MacVoices Live! doesn't engage in political discussions, how tech is being used as a political communications tool has become a controversial topic. The MacVoices Live! panel of David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Mark Fuccio, Chuck Joiner, Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, and Web Bixby take a look at a real-world test case of AI chatbot use in an American primary contest. While small in scale, this is an interesting example that you can expect to see more of, and the panel disagrees on its importance.

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

0:01:18 The Use of AI in Political Campaigns
0:02:12 Benefits and Concerns of AI in Campaigns
0:03:24 Cost Comparison and Accessibility in Campaigning
0:04:45 The Impact of AI on Political Campaign Logistics
0:06:05 Potential Risks of AI in Political Campaigns
0:07:36 Future Prospects of AI in Campaigning
0:12:49 Cost Efficiency and Voter Interaction
0:13:58 Utilizing Speech Models and Public Content
0:15:18 Exploring the Role of AI in Politics
0:17:38 The Potential Influence of AI on Elections

Links:

Underdog Who Beat Biden in American Samoa Used AI in Election Campaign
https://www.wsj.com/articles/underdog-who-beat-biden-in-american-samoa-used-ai-in-election-campaign-b0ce62d6?st=ihmyn8egtg9hl0r&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Guests:

Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, and on his blog, Trending At Work.

Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud.

Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon.

Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet.

David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud

Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession 'firsts,' including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC).

Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon.

Ben Roethig has been in the Apple Ecosystem since the System 7 Days. He is the a former Associate Editor with Geek Beat, Co-Founder of The Tech Hangout and Deconstruct and currently shares his thoughts on RoethigTech. Contact him on Twitter and Mastodon.

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Connect:

Web:
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00:01:17 The Use of AI in Political Campaigns 00:02:11 Benefits and Concerns of AI in Campaigns 00:03:24 Cost Comparison and Accessibility in Campaigning 00:04:44 The Impact of AI on Political Campaign Logistics 00:06:05 Potential Risks of AI in Political Campaigns 00:07:36 Future Prospects of AI in Campaigning 00:12:49 Cost Efficiency and Voter Interaction 00:13:57 Utilizing Speech Models and Public Content 00:15:17 Exploring the Role of AI in Politics 00:17:37 The Potential Influence of AI on Elections 00:19:03 Closing Thoughts and Final Remarks