What happens AI-powered Presidential candidates duke it out?

A clever experiment in recreating personalities with LLMs

Last week the team at Humains did something either very clever or very silly. During a chat over coffee, the team wanted to see if their AIs — which currently can mimic the behavior of call center operators and other goal-focused personalities — could pretend to be vying for the biggest prize in the U.S.: the Presidency. Their goal was to create digital versions of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to engage in a debate. What started as a simple concept evolved into a complex exploration of AI capabilities and ethics.

I interviewed the Humain’s CEO, Nissan Yaron, in July.

First, here’s the talking-head video they did featuring the candidates. Very Max Headroom.

The search for the right AI model

One of the first challenges Humains encountered was finding the appropriate AI model for the task. Popular models like GPT-4 and Claude were not suitable for this particular experiment, so the team explored open-source options. After testing LLAMA 3.1 7b and 450b, they settled on LLAMA 3.1 70b. This model allowed Humains to fine-tune it with their Cognitive OS to accurately represent both Trump and Harris.

Using their framework, Humains developed AI versions of Trump and Harris. Each AI was programmed with distinct voices and problem-solving abilities. Although both started with the same foundational instructions, the digital debaters quickly took on personalities reflective of their real-life counterparts.

The resulting transcript, available here, was… weird? Good? Accurate? Here’s a chunk:

Trump: I've got a tremendous plan for healthcare, believe me. We're going to get rid of the failed policies of the past and replace them with something that actually works for the American people. We're talking about lower costs, better care, and more choices for individuals and families. We're going to protect people with pre-existing conditions, and we're going to do it without bankrupting our country like the Democrats' socialist plans would. My plan is going to be so good, so strong, so powerful, that you won't even recognize it as healthcare. It's going to be tremendous, just tremendous.

Kamala: With all due respect, Mr. Trump, your claims about a 'tremendous' healthcare plan are just that - claims. We've seen no details, no concrete proposals, and no evidence that you're committed to protecting the millions of Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act. In contrast, our administration is dedicated to building on the progress we've made, not tearing it down. We'll strengthen the ACA, lower prescription drug costs, and ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable care. We won't go back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or charge women more for the same care. Our plan is based on facts, not fantasy, and it's time for a president who will put the health and well-being of the American people above politics and profits.

Trump: That's just it, Kamala, you're stuck in the past with a failed plan like Obamacare. It's a disaster, a complete disaster. Premiums are through the roof, deductibles are unaffordable, and people are losing their doctors. And you want to build on that? It's like trying to build a house on quicksand. My plan, on the other hand, is going to be a private sector-driven solution that will bring down costs, increase competition, and give Americans the freedom to choose their own doctors and health plans. We're going to take care of pre-existing conditions, we're going to take care of our veterans, and we're going to do it without saddling our country with trillions of dollars in debt. The ACA is a train wreck, and you're just trying to put lipstick on a pig.

Kamala: I'm not sure what's more astonishing, Mr. Trump, the depth of your misunderstanding about the Affordable Care Act or the audacity of your claims about your own plan. The ACA has provided coverage to over 20 million Americans, protected people with pre-existing conditions, and allowed young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26. It's not perfect, but it's a foundation we can build on. Your plan, on the other hand, is a vague promise with no details, no concrete proposals, and no evidence that you're committed to protecting the millions of Americans who rely on the ACA. You've spent your entire presidency trying to dismantle the ACA, and now you're pretending to be a champion of healthcare? The American people deserve better than empty promises and ideological rhetoric. We need a president who will put the health and well-being of the American people above politics and profits.

Trump: Look, Kamala, the ACA is a total disaster, and the American people know it. It's unaffordable, unsustainable, and unpopular. I've been fighting to repeal and replace it with something better, and we're making tremendous progress. We've already taken away the individual mandate, which was a huge burden on Americans, and we're working on new solutions that will lower costs, increase competition, and improve care. You can talk all you want about the ACA's supposed benefits, but the fact is, it's a failed program that's hurting Americans. And by the way, my plan is not vague, it's just not bogged down in bureaucratic red tape like the ACA is. We're going to bring private sector ingenuity and innovation to healthcare, and it's going to be huge.

Kamala: Mr. Trump, the American people deserve better than your misleading rhetoric about the Affordable Care Act. The ACA has provided coverage to over 20 million Americans, protected people with pre-existing conditions, and allowed young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26. Your claim that it's unaffordable and unpopular is simply not supported by the facts. And as for your plan, it's not just vague, it's nonexistent. You've had three years to come up with a comprehensive healthcare plan, and yet you still can't provide any details. The American people aren't buying your empty promises, and they're not going to fall for your attempts to dismantle the ACA without a viable alternative. We need a president who will put the health and well-being of the American people above politics and profits, and that's exactly what I'll do.

Creating a fair and balanced knowledge base

To ensure a fair debate, Humains took steps to provide unbiased information to the AI debaters. They used AI models like ChatGPT and Claude to build a comprehensive knowledge base, resulting in an objective portrayal of both political figures.

Humains then put their AI debaters to the test in a series of discussions. While there were minor technical issues—such as Trump’s AI repeating phrases and Harris’s AI confusing timelines—the debates were informative and engaging.

Humains asked other AI models to evaluate the debates, and the feedback was positive. Trump’s AI was recognized for its strong presence, and Harris’s AI was noted for its detailed policy discussions. In short, the AI was able to simulate the candidates correctly if superficially, something that definitely defines most LLM projects

Wrote the creators:

So, where did this leave us? With a successful experiment that was simultaneously illuminating and limited. Our AI debate had shown us the potential of technology to articulate complex political ideas and engage in substantive discussion. But it had also underscored the irreplaceable value of human adaptability and genuine intellectual growth.

This clever project provided valuable insights into the potential of AI in political debates. While the AI debaters performed well, the experiment also highlighted the current limitations of AI in replicating the dynamic nature of human political discourse. Ultimately, we can recreate many things with AI and the resulting products are acceptable. But to really build a human will take far longer than we probably expect, especially given the peccadilloes and strangeness associated with humanity. Basically, it’s a cool — and promising — toy that is constantly improving.