Labour MP Mark Sewards is the UK’s first politician to build an AI version of himself for voters. The virtual Sewards uses his voice and handles local queries 24/7, aiming to bridge the gap between MPs and constituents.
Sewards teamed with a local startup to launch the chatbot prototype. It answers policy questions and offers help with local issues, freeing the MP to focus on more complex cases.
But the move sparks concerns about trust and human connection. Dr Susan Oman of the University of Sheffield warns older users may not realize they’re chatting with a bot, which could cause confusion or distress. 
“When it comes to the general public and how they speak about politicians, the trust in them gets worse and worse,”
Dr Susan Oman stated.“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.”
Prof Victoria Honeyman from the University of Leeds sees the bot as a useful tool for simple questions but worries it might upset people with emotional or complex concerns.
“People may be talking about emotionally wrought problems and for those people, being put through a bot, even briefly, might cause more upset,”
she pointed out.“Chatbots are developed by humans, so, like us, they can make mistakes and that could end up undermining people’s confidence in their MP.”
Sewards, who won his West Yorkshire seat in July 2024, calls the AI a way to embrace new tech and improve service.
“We have to embrace the opportunities that are represented by AI and what better way to learn about it then to become it,”
Sewards 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.”
Sewards admits the chatbot is a prototype and will evolve based on feedback. The experiment could signal a tech-driven shift in how politicians communicate with voters.
