Latest news with #MarkSewards
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'AI Mark': British MP becomes available 24/7; bot talks back in his voice
Mark Sewards along side his AI version Mark Sewards, a British MP for Leeds South West and Morley, has launched an AI version of himself that responds to public complaints using his own voice. He introduced the digital assistant, "AI Mark", through his official X account. "This prototype AI model offers my constituents an additional way to engage with their MP on local casework and policy issues. It can't replace the other work I do – it simply gives people another option to contact me, any time of day," Sewards wrote. Encouraging residents to try the tool, he added, "I encourage any resident of Leeds South West and Morley to give AI Mark a try. This is only a prototype, and every request will help train it and make it better." The AI responds with supportive messages or offers to forward queries to Sewards' team. While the aim is to make it easier for voters to feel heard by a voice that sounds like their MP, a disclaimer on the website reads: 'AI Mark is a prototype digital assistant – this is a work in progress and not everything it says should be taken as fact. All responses are AI-generated.' The chatbot has attracted both interest and criticism from AI experts and the media. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 25 Brilliant Plant Hacks That Will Change the Way You Grow Things Learn More Undo The Guardian reported that it struggled with accents, failing to recognise messages from people living just a few kilometres from the constituency's border. Dr Oman from the University of Sheffield told BBC that the growing use of AI in public services poses challenges, especially for older people. 'Many don't realise they're speaking to a bot and assume it's a real person. This can be confusing for them,' she said.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 days ago
- Business
- First Post
‘UK's first virtual MP': Meet Mark Sewards, the British politician who created AI version of himself
A British politician has launched an AI version of himself to engage with the people he represents. Mark Sewards, Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley, teamed up with AI firm Neural Voice to create his digital avatar. The chatbot, dubbed as the 'UK's first virtual MP', speaks in Sewards' voice to provide advice, offer support or forward messages to his team read more Sewards said he had become the first British MP to launch an artificial intelligence prototype of himself. Image: News18 Chatbots have become increasingly popular. Today, you can find them on almost every service, offering instant replies and handling queries. A British politician has now taken this a step further by creating an AI version of himself to communicate with the people he represents. Mark Sewards, the Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley, worked with the AI company Neural Voice to develop a virtual version of himself. On Tuesday, Sewards said he had become the first British MP to launch an artificial intelligence prototype of himself. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, who is Mark Sewards? How does this AI version function? And are people welcoming the idea? Here's all you need to know: Who is the UK's 'first virtual MP'? The Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley has teamed up with AI company Neural Voice to create a virtual version of himself. This chatbot, described as the 'UK's first virtual MP', uses Sewards' voice to give advice, offer support or pass messages on to his team. Introducing the first AI prototype of a British MP🇬🇧🤖 When constituent and local business owner, Jeremy Smith, approached me with this idea, I was very excited to work with him. The AI revolution is happening and we must embrace it or be left behind. — Mark Sewards MP (@MarkJSewards) August 5, 2025 The 35-year-old has been an MP for just over a year, having defeated former Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns to win the Westminster seat in July 2024. What are chatbots? For the unversed, chatbots are computer programs designed to hold a two-way conversation with a human. They have become increasingly popular as businesses search for new ways to connect with people. Although they can offer many advantages, there are also concerns over privacy, data security, reduced human contact and whether they can actually solve problems. How does the AI version work? In a message encouraging local residents to 'give AI Mark a try', the MP, who was elected for the first time last year, said, 'The AI revolution is happening and we must embrace it or be left behind.' The startup he worked with, Neural Voice, had previously fielded a candidate called AI Steve in the last UK general election. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The idea was to restore trust in politics by letting constituents suggest and vote on what AI Steve should do as a local MP, with the company's chair, Steve Endacott, taking those decisions to parliament. Sewards said he partnered with the firm to launch the 'first AI prototype of a British MP'. He told constituents, 'When constituent and local business owner, Jeremy Smith, approached me with this idea, I was very excited to work with him.' He added that the AI was 'only a prototype' and would be trained further 'to make it better'. The AI version of Sewards records every conversation so that his team can identify the main topics constituents are discussing. This feature has also faced criticism. This prototype AI model offers my constituents an additional way to engage with their MP on local casework and policy issues. It can't ever replace any of the oher work I do and it simply gives people another option to contact me, anytime of day. — Mark Sewards MP (@MarkJSewards) August 5, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why is the chatbot facing criticism? Although still in its early stages, the AI chatbot has already drawn criticism, with some arguing it could widen the gap between politicians and the public. Some social media users accused him of being 'lazy' and questioned why he was paid a £93,000 salary if a computer was doing his job. Dr Susan Oman, a senior lecturer in data, AI and society, told BBC, 'When it comes to the general public and how they speak about politicians, the trust in them gets worse and worse.' She said there was a risk that, while an MP may try to be more efficient and available through such tools, people might feel they are being listened to less. Concerns have also been raised about privacy, data security, reduced human contact and whether the chatbot can effectively deal with problems. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dr Oman added that the growing use of AI in the public sector has led to difficulties, especially for older generations. Separately, Victoria Honeyman, a lecturer in British politics at the University of Leeds, warned that the chatbot could cause distress for people seeking help with complex issues.
News18
5 days ago
- Business
- News18
In A First, UK Politician Creates His AI Version To Interact With Constituents
Last Updated: Labour MP Mark Sewards collaborated with Neural Voice to create the UK's first AI prototype of a British MP, offering 24/7 support and strengthening constituent connections. A UK politician has created a his AI version, claiming it to be the first AI prototype of a British MP. As per a post on X (formerly Twitter), Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley collaborated with a startup AI firm, Neural Voice, to create a virtual representation of himself. The AI version will be interacting with its people, the representative said that it 'help strengthen the connection between an MP's office and the constituents we serve". This initiative will allow people to access support '24/7 365 days a year," the politician added. A statement on the website reads, 'Share your concerns and get assistance. All conversations are reviewed by my team, who can take action on the issues that matter most to our community." Mark Sewards shared the link to AI prototype on his X account and wrote, 'Introducing the first AI prototype of a British MP. When constituent and local business owner, Jeremy Smith, approached me with this idea, I was very excited to work with him. The AI revolution is happening and we must embrace it or be left behind." 'This prototype AI model offers my constituents an additional way to engage with their MP on local casework and policy issues. It can't ever replace any of the oher work I do and it simply gives people another option to contact me, anytime of day," the post added. Seward further encouraged the people to try the bot and share their feedback. 'I encourage any resident of Leeds South West and Morley to give AI Mark a try. This is only a prototype, and everything request will be used to train it to make it better," he added. 'Having an AI start-up based in my constituency willing to work with me on this project has been fantastic. I can't thank Jeremy Smith and Neural Voice enough for all their hard work to create the UK's first virtual MP!" the post read. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"UK's First Virtual MP": British Politician Launches AI Version Of Himself To Interact With Constituents
A UK politician has created an AI version of himself to interact with his constituents. According to the BBC, Mark Sewards, a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds South West and Morley, collaborated with a startup AI firm, Neural Voice, to create a virtual representation of himself. The chatbot, billed as the "UK's first virtual MP", responds in Mr Seward's voice with advice, support or by offering to pass on a message to his team. The AI version will "help strengthen the connection between an MP's office and the constituents we serve", and will allow people to access support "24/7 365 days a year," the politician said. The AI chatbot is still a "prototype" and would be adjusted as needed. In a message urging local residents to "give AI Mark a try", the MP said that the "AI revolution is happening and we must embrace it or be left behind". "We have to embrace the opportunities that are represented by AI and what better way to learn about it then to become it," he said. "I want something that will genuinely be helpful to my constituents and the people I represent and if we can create a model that functions properly without saying ridiculous things then that's the way to go. The only way to do this is to dip your toe in the water and get involved," he added. According to the BBC, the AI version of Mr Seward records all the conversations, with the aim that his team will be able to pick out the key topics that his constituents are talking about. While it is still in the initial phase, the AI chatbot is already facing criticism, with many questioning whether the step creates further disconnect between politicians and the public. "There is the risk here that as an MP you are trying to be more efficient and more present for your constituents, but the knock-on effect is they feel less listened to," said Dr Susan Oman, a senior lecturer in data, AI and society. There are also concerns about privacy and data security, a lack of human interaction and the bot's ability to resolve issues. According to Dr Oman, the growing use of AI within the public sector has created several issues - particularly for older generations. "They may not realise they're chatting to a bot and often think they are chatting to a real person. This can end up being quite a distressing experience and adds to the confusion," she said. Separately, Victoria Honeyman, a lecturer in British politics at University of Leeds, said that the chatbot could create distress for people seeking help for complex issues. "People may be talking about emotionally wrought problems and for those people, being put through a bot, even briefly, might cause more upset," she said. "Chatbots are developed by humans, so, like us, they can make mistakes and that could end up undermining people's confidence in their MP," she continued. However, Ms Honeyman she also went on to say that the world is changing so "we need to see how it develops". "With adaptions it may work fine," she said.
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
A politician made an AI clone of himself. The outrage was real.
When Mark Sewards was elected to the British Parliament last year, the new MP admitted he was having a hard time managing the more than 6000 messages he received in just his first three months. 'I've tried my best to sit at my desk and answer all the
