In a novel move to draw his opponent into another debate, Bentley Hensel, an independent candidate for Virginia’s 8th congressional district, has developed an AI chatbot to serve as a stand-in for Democratic incumbent Don Beyer. With less than a month before election day, Hensel, a software engineer at the civic advocacy group CivicActions, hopes to use technology to challenge the sitting congressman.
Hensel said he resorted to creating the chatbot, dubbed “DonBot,” after Beyer reportedly declined to participate in further debates following a forum in September. In this heavily Democratic district, Beyer, who secured nearly 75% of the vote in 2022, is favored to win again. However, Hensel believes the voters deserve more engagement from their representative and all candidates.
The AI chatbot, developed without Beyer’s consent, has been trained on materials from Beyer’s official website, press releases, and data from the Federal Election Commission. According to Hensel, DonBot is not intended to deceive voters but to simulate Beyer’s responses accurately using OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The AI is expected to answer questions on topics relevant to the district and serve as a modern-day version of the traditional “empty chair” on the debate stage.
The debate, scheduled for October 17, will feature Hensel and fellow independent David Kennedy, who will face off against DonBot. Jerry Torres, the Republican candidate who has raised around $30,000, has yet to confirm his participation.
In response to the AI debate, a spokesperson for Beyer noted that he had joined his opponents in a September forum and did not intend to participate in the October event. The spokesperson highlighted Beyer’s ongoing efforts to address AI regulation in Congress, specifically regarding the prevention of AI misuse to spread misinformation.
With Beyer’s significant financial advantage—having raised $1.5 million compared to Hensel’s $17,000—the outcome of this race may seem predetermined. Yet Hensel’s use of technology reflects the increasing role AI could play in future political campaigns and debates.
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