Don Scott AI media incident — Oct 2026
Candidate Don Scott utilizes an AI-powered avatar called the Don Bot on his campaign website to interact with voters and answer questions during his run for.
- Reported date
- Oct 1, 2026
- Target
- Don Scott
The exact incident date was not established. This entry is dated by its source report.
In his 2026 campaign for Bedford town supervisor, candidate Don Scott has integrated artificial intelligence into his platform, most notably through an AI-powered avatar known as the Don Bot. Scott, who describes his effort as an un-campaign, uses the technology to engage with residents, answer questions about his candidacy, and provide information on local government issues. The candidate argues that AI can democratize elections by making campaigns more transparent, accessible, and cost-effective.
What happened
Don Scott launched a campaign website, donforbedford.com, which serves as a central hub for his AI-driven political experiment. The site features the Don Bot, an AI version of Scott designed to answer questions from voters. When asked about his motivation for running, the avatar stated that local government functions better when officials are required to explain their decisions and defend their priorities. Scott noted that the avatar is a slightly polished version of himself, though he joked that the AI appears a bit chubbier than he is in reality.
Beyond the avatar, Scott’s campaign website incorporates several other AI-powered tools, including a town-code tool that provides plain-English answers to questions about local regulations. The site also features interactive elements such as a Best of Bedford survey, an idea-matchup game, and a trivia game regarding local rules. Scott emphasizes that his use of AI is intended to reduce campaign costs significantly; he reported spending only $13 during the 2026 election cycle compared to the $118,000 spent by his opponent in the 2021 race. Additionally, the website provides a carbon-footprint comparison between the two campaigns, claiming a reduction from 9,662 kg to 53 kg. Scott has made the AI instruction sets for his pages publicly viewable on the site, framing the technology as a potential solution for municipalities to improve communication, generate meeting recaps, and lower administrative costs over time.