Dear Editor: AI and Voting

Dear Editor,

I'm going to try to kill two birds with one stone! Neither of my subjects, Voting & AI, are necessarily about anything currently happening in Whitehall, though voting is probably on the minds of many. AI, on the other hand, is a mixed bag.

This letter is somewhat in response to the article by Keith Hammond of the Boulder Monitor, published in the January 31, 2024 edition of the Ledger. Whatever one's opinion about voting, it must be represented that, it hits closer to home than voting for the next president of these United States! I don't claim to understand much about politics, federal OR local, but I DO understand that in rural Montana, voting for our local representatives can be a game-changer. As the article referenced pointed out, we have a say as to what FORM of government we would rather pursue.

I must admit, somewhat ruefully, that I am not much of a voter (Does that make me un-American?), particularly when it comes to federal elections. There were years on end that I did not vote at all because I felt that, in all reality, it made no difference. I still feel this way for several reasons, one being our electoral process. Unless I'm greatly mistaken and the rules have changed in the last year or so, the presidency of these United States of America is decided, not by popular vote (as it should be) but by the electoral college, made up of elected officials. When was the last time you could trust the word (or even signature?) of a duly elected official in the District?!

Another reason for not voting was contingent on the first: in Wyoming, where I lived for more than ten years, as in Montana, we have no more than five votes in the grand scheme of things! Yes, we're supposed to be all the more diligent in bending the ears of our representatives in the Swamp, but again, even if we can convince them to throw their vote to the candidate we prefer (the lesser of two evils?) in Montana we have a grand total of five votes.

Where does AI come into all this? Where, indeed! No one has addressed this elephant in the room, but what if AI got into politics? More to the point maybe, what might happen WHEN AI gets into politics? The possibilities are endless, but if we think the elections are rigged NOW...the almost infinite possibilities are pretty horrifying when one thinks about it!

Why think about it then? Why, indeed? Why bring all this negativity into play? Isn't there enough to worry about in OUR little world without bringing all this doomsday talk to our already wearied minds?!

Sure, AI has its uses. It is sure fun to play around with, with all the AI-generated art and such, but what might be the outcome if (when?) we become too reliant on it, much like we have on many other such conveniences? Will AI eventually take over our lives, much as the pocket computer (smartphone) seems to have done? Hollywood's representation of the phenomenon may be a bit far-fetched in some iterations, but as with most mythology, we may be certain there is at least some truth to it.

Ultimately, as I understand it, AI is a glorified computer program or algorithm. Therefore, it's only as intelligent as the one who programs it. Could it, at some point, join us in the next stage of evolution and develop a mind of its own? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it's probably not outside the realm of possibility. How that may impact our little world, including politics and a host of other realms? Only time will tell, but ultimately, it's up to us.

Back to OUR little world. As the article referenced pointed out, our state is the only one that allows the separate counties to decide for themselves which system of governance they prefer. If we take full advantage of this option, as we have in the past, then we might see things going the people's, rather than the politician's way. I'm not going to say anything about our government in Helena or our representatives in the District of Columbia, because, as far as I'm concerned, they're where they are because we put them there, whether ignorantly or purposefully.

My purpose here is not to heighten the already overwhelming fear that seems to motivate our culture but to spur my fellow citizens to not only think about the consequences of action, or inaction, for good or ill but the action itself! If the action you are called to involves getting into (local) politics or just simply voting, you can be sure of one thing; if done with good intention, whatever action one pursues will have its effect, most importantly, on one's self! Once we get ourselves in the right place, everything else will fall into place!

CHARLES HADDON SHANK

Whitehall, Montana