SWARM AI OFFERS INSIGHT INTO HISTORIC TESTIMONY
Last week, former FBI Director James Comey went before the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify about his interactions with President Trump. How you interpreted Comey’s testimony is likely tied to your perspective. If you’re the President of the United States, Comey’s testimony was “full of so many false statements and lies [that it represented] total and complete vindication.” If, on the other hand, you are also a former FBI Director, in this case Robert Mueller, Comey’s testimony was substantial enough to prompt an investigation into the President for obstruction of justice.
To make sense of these tumultuous times, researchers at Unanimous A.I. convened two swarms over the past week. The first was held during Comey’s testimony, with a swarm of American voters reacting in real-time to the potentially historic back and forth between the Senate and the former FBI Director. A second swarm was held this week to offer a similar perspective into the testimony of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. In both instances, the swarm combined the wisdom, experience, insight and intuition of the group to generate what we call Swarm Insight.
POTENTIAL OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE?
What began as an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign now seems focused on obstruction of justice. According to Comey, the President sought his “loyalty” and then fired him when it was refused. So, according to the Swarm, did Trump’s actions constitute obstruction of justice?
Obstruction of justice was the justification for both impeachments in Presidential history, and crucial to Nixon’s resignation. So, it’s not a term that can be tossed around casually. In that light, it’s revealing that the swarm was nearly split at the outset of the question between “Very Inappropriate” and “Obstruction of Justice.” But, as the group negotiated, the combination of their insights and our AI algorithms showed that “Obstruction of Justice” was the response that best represented the will of the group.
When terms like obstruction of justice enter the discussion, it’s important to remember that impeachment effectively negates the will of the American people. The line between Very Inappropriate and potential Obstruction of Justice is of historic importance. So, our researchers wanted to know, did a swarm of American voters believe that the accusations levied at the president rise to the level of previous White House scandals?
Here again Swarm Insight reveals that the American electorate believes that, despite the President’s dismissal of this investigation as “fake news”, this is not a story that’s likely to disappear any time soon, a forecast echoed by Republican Senator John McCain, who said the investigation was “reaching the point of Watergate size.”
That was the backdrop for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appear before the same Senate Intelligence Committee. Sessions was fiery in his defense of the President, condemning any claims of Russian collusion with Trump to be a “appalling and detestable lie.” Unlike portions of Comey’s testimony, Sessions was unequivocal, but the Swarm AI revealed with High Confidence a belief that Sessions was more concerned with serving the President than with serving the American public, which is the job of the Attorney General.
WHO CAN WE TRUST?
Robert Mueller is widely believed to be a credible, non-partisan public servant. In fact, the Senate voted unanimously to extend his term under Obama, though he was appointed by Bush. While Mueller conducts his special investigation, the conflicting accounts presented by Trump, Comey, and Sessions have turned the conversation into a he said-she said between the three men. With that in mind, our researchers had one final question for the Swarm AI. While we wait for the facts to come in, which of these three powerful men is the most trustworthy?
Every week Unanimous A. I. brings together swarms of regular people just like you to help us predict sporting events, investment opportunities, and technology as well as provide insight into everything from pop culture to politics. If you’d like information on joining a swarm – or just want to stay up to date on the latest predictions – click the button below.
