Sensay, a creator of AI-driven digital copies of people, has created an AI-driven government on a real island it bought off the Philippines. Formerly known as Cheron Island, it has been renamed Sensay Island.
The head of state (effectively the president) of Sensay Island is the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, one of the five good emperors in Rome known for his love for stoic philosophy and good judgment. Wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is the Prime Minister, while Sun Tzu, author of the Chinese strategic classic, The Art of War, taking the reins for defense. Alexander Hamilton is the new Ministry of Finance.
According to Sensay, “Each AI replica is designed to mimic personality, values and decision-making patterns for the historical figure it represents, providing a government style provided with timeless wisdom and ethical principles.
To really emulate the nature of these historical characters, every recreation is uniquely educated in literature, teaching, philosophies and speaking from the real counterparts they represent. “
How easy AI copies from such different periods and with such strong characters will be able to work together in the government, it is still to see, as their contrasting values must certainly collide with points, not to mention to be contrary to modern values.
The full closet
Here is the full list of Sensay Island -Cabinet members:
Head of State (President): Marcus Aurelius
Prime minister: Winston Churchill
Foreign Minister: Eleanor Roosevelt
Defense Minister: Sun Tzu
Treasury Secretary: Alexander Hamilton
Minister of Justice: Nelson Mandela
Science & Technology Minister: Ada Lovelace
Minister of Education: Confucius
Minister of Health: Florence Nightingale
Minister of Agriculture: George Washington Carver
Environment Minister: Wangari Maathai
Minister of Culture: Leonardo da Vinci
Ethics Advisor: Mahatma Gandhi
Innovation Advisor: Nikola Tesla
Infrastructure Director: Queen Hatshepsut
Chief Strategist: Zhuge Liang
Intelligence Manager: Te Lawrence
Personally, I think Davinci was a wise choice for Minister of Culture, and it’s great to see Nikola Tesla be recognized as an innovation advisor, but I have to say I’m a little disappointed not to see Queen Cleopatra everywhere in the mixture.
Confucius also presents some challenges as Minister of Education, considering his unknown with modern technology such as AI.
A real island
Sensay Island is actually a real island off the coast of the Philippines. You can find it on Google Maps. It has a surface area of about 3.4 km² that includes beaches, rainforest and coral lagoons.
From what we can see, it doesn’t seem to be any infrastructure of any kind on the island, so if you think of a visit, be aware that there is probably no Wi-Fi.
While an AI government feels like something of an advertising stunt, there are serious reasons why Sensay has created an AI Ø:
“Sensay seeks to demonstrate that AI can be deployed in national governance to help political decision -making free of political partiship and bureaucratic delays and with unprecedented transparency and participation,” says it.
A fly on the wall
According to Marisol Reyes, the (AI-driven) tourism manager for Sensay Island, which you can chat with on his site, you can visit the island whenever you want:
“Absolutely, you can visit our beautiful island! We are happy to welcome visitors to experience this unique blend of pioneering AI government and traditional Filipino hospitality. Sensay Island is open to tourists who want to explore our pristine beaches, lively coral reserves and witness history in creation with our paving AI council.”
For those without the means to visit, the good news is that you can still get involved. You will soon be able to register as an e-resident of Sensay Island, so you can propose new policies for its AI-run administration via an open access platform:
“This will combine direct democracy with AI-enhanced decision making,” says Sensay.
Dan Thomson, CEO and founder of Sensay, added, “This project shows Sensay’s obligation to push the boundaries of AI in a responsible direction. I hope our approach will show public and world leaders that AI is a feasible and effective way to develop and implement policies.”
Despite an AI-controlled civilization leading to (attempted) human extinction in almost any major sci-fi movie I’ve seen in the past 40 years, from Logan’s race to The TerminatorIt seems that people are still determined to give it a try.
But could AI actually give a more balanced and sensible government than our chosen officials can? There is only one way to find out …
