An AI backed party in Denmark is running for election in 2023
AI is already used by mainstream political parties to formulate policies and insights, but it's also increasingly being used to create new AI political leaders and ministers.
Key takeaways
- Launched in late May by the artists’ collective Computer Lars, the so called Synthetic Party wants to reach out to the around 15 percent of Danes who did not exercise their right to vote in the previous election in 2019.
- The party believes they did not vote because none of the traditional parties appealed to them.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2022) 'An AI backed party in Denmark is running for election in 2023', 311 Institute, 8 September. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/an-ai-backed-party-in-denmark-is-running-for-election-in-2023/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
So far, we’ve seen the unveiling of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) foreign minister in China, Google’s AI “conquer” democracy, and IBM Watson debating how best to redistribute wealth, so it seems only natural that now a new political party in Denmark, whose policies are derived entirely from AI, hopes to stand in the country’s next general election in June 2023.
Launched in late May by the artists’ collective Computer Lars, the so called Synthetic Party wants to reach out to the around 15 percent of Danes who did not exercise their right to vote in the previous election in 2019.
The party believes they did not vote because none of the traditional parties appealed to them.
By analysing all of Denmark’s fringe parties’ written publications since 1970, the Synthetic Party’s AI has devised a programme that it believes represents “the political visions of the everyday person.”
One of the members of the collective, Asker Bryld Staunaes, told AFP that the party “takes its departure in an analysis of optimising the voting system in Denmark.” Denmark currently has 230 micro-parties that are based more on mocking or criticising society than actual political policy.
“It’s a way to mimic and simulate the political process throughout but in a direct confrontation of the apparatus of law making and political enforcement and organisation rights,” said Bryld Staunaes whose script would probably sound better if it had in fact been written by an AI …
The Synthetic Party’s proposal includes the introduction of a Universal Basic Income of 100,000 kroner a month which is more than double the average Danish salary.
The party also backs the addition of an 18th UN sustainable development goal that would allow “humans and algorithms to coexist more directly than now.” Bryld Staunaes said.
To stand in the 2023 election, the party needs 20,182 signatures but currently has just four, according to official election data, so while the chances of the AI making it to parliament are slim, if it does manage to win a seat, it plans to use its mandate to “link AI and humans within a democratic setting.”
People would be able to interact directly with the party’s AI on the messaging platform Discord via chatbots, and ever the optimists the party plans to hold its first election rally ”for a human audience” this month.
What this means for your organisation
AI is entering policy making.
Mainstream parties already use AI for insights, and now a party's whole programme comes from one. Public debate will feel the effect. Leaders should watch how AI shapes the policies that affect them.
Non-voters are the target.
The party aims at the 15 percent of Danes who did not vote last time. AI can find gaps that traditional parties miss. Firms can learn from how it segments overlooked groups.
Accountability is unclear.
Voters would talk to the party's AI through chatbots. It is hard to hold a machine to account. Expect pressure for rules on AI in politics.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How could AI-shaped policies affect our sector?
- Which overlooked customer groups could AI help us reach?
- What rules on AI in public life should we prepare for?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
AI is already used by mainstream political parties to formulate policies and insights, but it's also increasingly being used to create new AI political leaders and ministers.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 8 September 2022. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2022). An AI backed party in Denmark is running for election in 2023. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/an-ai-backed-party-in-denmark-is-running-for-election-in-2023/
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