While MacVoices Live! doesn’t engage in political discussions, how tech is being used as a political communications tool has become a controversial topic. The MacVoices Live! panel of David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Mark Fuccio, Chuck Joiner, Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, and Web Bixby take a look at a real-world test case of AI chatbot use in an American primary contest. While small in scale, this is an interesting example that you can expect to see more of, and the panel disagrees on its importance.  Today’s MacVoices is supported by Backblaze. MacVoices listeners get a fully featured no risk free trial at Backblaze.com/macvoices. Go there, play with it, start protecting yourself from potential bad times! Start Today! Show Notes: Chapters: 0:01:18 The Use of AI in Political Campaigns 0:02:12 Benefits and Concerns of AI in Campaigns 0:03:24 Cost Comparison and Accessibility in Campaigning 0:04:45 The Impact of AI on Political Campaign Logistics 0:06:05 Potential Risks of AI in Political Campaigns 0:07:36 Future Prospects of AI in Campaigning 0:12:49 Cost Efficiency and Voter Interaction 0:13:58 Utilizing Speech Models and Public Content 0:15:18 Exploring the Role of AI in Politics 0:17:38 The Potential Influence of AI on Elections Links: Underdog Who Beat Biden in American Samoa Used AI in Election Campaignhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/underdog-who-beat-biden-in-american-samoa-used-ai-in-election-campaign-b0ce62d6?st=ihmyn8egtg9hl0r&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink Guests: Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, and on his blog, Trending At Work. Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud. Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology in