Italian town appoints AI councillor
A small Italian town made history by appointing an AI generated member to its government council, sparking debate about the future of AI in politics. When an artificial mind takes a seat at the municipal council table in the ancient spa town of Acqui Terme – one that never gets tired, never makes mistakes from fatigue and never leaves a meeting early – conventional ideas about politics begin to shift. Eva Statella, as the AI councillor is called, is not human, yet her voice is heard alongside those of elected officials.
This is not just a technological experiment but a stress test for the very idea of representative democracy. Can an algorithm understand the needs of citizens better than a living person? Can it make decisions with ethics and emotion in mind? Or is it just a trendy gadget that helps the mayor look progressive? While Europe watches, a small town in northern Italy has become a testing ground for a question that will face every government in the coming years: to whom will we entrust governance – people or machines?
Local officials in the ancient spa town of Acqui Terme said this was the first time in Europe that an artificial intelligence system had been given a seat at the council table. "We did our research, and this is the first case in a European city where AI has been introduced into a governing body, because Eva sits next to the mayor and council members when we make decisions," said Danilo Rapetti Sardo Martini, the mayor of Acqui Terme.
The AI generated councillor, named Eva Statella, is responsible for a wide range of issues, from digital transformation to AI itself and even the "humanisation" of local government. Unlike her human colleagues, Eva never goes home, can analyse data or draft reports in seconds, and aims to make the work of "real" councillors more efficient. "Eva is an outstanding innovation because she provides valuable information and insights that expand our knowledge," said councillor Michele Gallizzi.
Local residents reacted to the appointment with mixed feelings – from cautious optimism to outright rejection. "Technology is advancing, and the council is trying to adapt," said one resident. "It's a step towards the future, but it must be used carefully," said another. "In my view, it's a complete joke. It's utterly useless," said a third resident. While some critics question AI's place in local decision making, the mayor insists that residents' data is protected. "The first guarantee is that no confidential data concerning residents can be disclosed. This is ensured because Eva operates on an independent server," said Mayor Martini.
Acqui Terme is a small town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, known for its thermal springs since Roman times. The decision to appoint an AI councillor is part of a broader digital transformation programme aimed at attracting youth and innovation to the region. Eva Statella was developed by a local tech start up using open source language models and trained on municipal documents, legislation and council meeting protocols. Her task is not to vote but to analyse, propose and warn. Over the next six months, the city authorities plan to evaluate her effectiveness and decide whether to expand AI use in other areas of governance. European digital rights experts have already called for algorithmic transparency and safeguards against bias, warning that such experiments require clear legislative regulation, which currently does not exist in any EU country.
As CCTV+ reports, the story of Eva Statella is not just a curiosity but a first wake up call, reminding us that artificial intelligence is already knocking on the doors of power, and the question "to be or not to be" will soon become "how and to what extent."
