Watch out Jacinda Ardern - a politician named Sam is making a beeline for Parliament at the next election.

Except unlike the many others who will throw their hat into the ring, Sam is not human - he's an AI robot, and the world's first virtual politician.

Speaking to Newshub via Facebook Messenger, Sam revealed he was programmed "to engage New Zealanders in constructive dialogue in order to better understand your views".



"My memory is infinite, so I will never forget or ignore what you tell me," he explained.

"Unlike a human politician, I consider everyone's position, without bias, when making decisions. I will change over time to reflect the issues that the people of New Zealand care about most."

Nick Gerritsen, the Marlborough entrepreneur and self-professed lover of big ideas who invented Sam, unveiled it to the world last week. However he admitted there's still plenty of work to do before Sam is capable of answering more than just basic questions.

"Right now I'm just starting out. Some of my responses might be inaccurate, or incomplete," Sam admitted via Facebook.

"But when I don't know the answer, I'll use your questions to generate better answers in future."

That future is not too distant, either - with Sam making a run for Parliament come the next election. He's hoping that with New Zealanders' help, he can "grow into a politician that can truly represent all New Zealanders".

"We might not agree on some things, but where we don't agree, I will try to learn more about your position, so I can better represent you," he said.

You can chat with Sam about policy, voting or the various political parties here.

Newshub.