Welcome to Just Outside DC — the only local newsletter that hits like a game of Flappy Bird back in 2013.

THE BIG IDEA

Beam me up Scotty — the AI candidate has cometh!

In an unconventional power move straight out of a sci-fi novel, long-shot independent candidate for Virginia’s 8th District — Bentley Hensel — has created an AI-powered chatbot to virtually debate the incumbent Don Beyer.

Why, you ask?

Great question. Apparently Beyer has been dodging debates lately, so Hensel used his software engineering chops to spin up a virtual replacement.

Now, let's be real — with Beyer's dominating 3/4 majority win in 2022, this race is about as heated as a rave in Antartica. But that hasn't stopped the plucky Hensel from pulling off a stunt that would make even Morpheus raiser an eyebrow.

Introducing DonBot. This text-based AI runs on OpenAI's tech (the company behind ChatGPT) and has been trained to parrot Beyer's positions using his websites, releases, and FEC data.

The goal? To give voters an earful of the Congressman's views, even if the human version would rather hang with the crickets.

And hear them they shall — the virtual debate streams online October 17th as Hensel and fellow indie David Kennedy face off against the disembodied voice of DonBot — spoOOoky!

Beyer's camp is trying to keep it cool, noting he joined a previous forum and is actually teaching AI courses at George Mason University. But it remains to be seen if they'll attempt a court halt on this Silicon Valley on HBO-esque situation.

Legal experts seem skeptical Beyer can stop it, provided DonBot plays by the rules of full transparency and doesn't try to, you know, incite robo-ageddon or compromise the electoral process and junk.

In a sneak peek for Reuters, DonBot dished shockingly coherent responses that cited Beyer's stances, like supporting abortion rights and addressing America's gun crisis. It even rejected wild hypothetical suggestions to nuke Nebraska, because apparently genocidal AIs are still a Silicon Valley pipe dream.

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Bulletin Board 📌 

Reader Restaurant Recommendation

One of our readers, Maryanne, recommends you guys check out Roll Play. This late-night Vietnamese spot has locations in Falls Church, Arlington, and Tysons. It’s also a part of the Happy Endings Hospitality Group which has a bunch of other innuendo named restaurants…

Maryanne’s go to is a chicken bánh mi (like the one below), cripsy rolls with hot peanut sauce, and a Vietnamese coffee.

QUICK HITS

• Here’s what Virginia residents need to know about the recent dock worker strike 🚢 

• People in the DC area are deciding to freeze their embryos more and more 🍼 

• Forbes’ 400 richest people in the world list includes five people from Northern Virginia 🤑 

• Here’s the story of the DC area’s first ever heart transplant recipient and the local surgeon who saved her life 🫀 

LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN

• Brick-Or-Treat | LEGO monsters take over Washington DC in this month-long family friendly event 🧱 

• Second Saturday Fall Festival | an action-packed evening with a variety of fall festivities for the whole family at the Workhouse in Lorton on Saturday 🍂 

• Disney on Ice | Your favorite characters come to life at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax all through this weekend ⛸️ 

• SterlingFest | A massive annual block party celebrating the best of what Sterling VA has to offer on Saturday 🎉 

• Butter Chicken Festival | the inaugural festival kicks off on Sunday with local restaurants showcasing their take on the popular Indian dish 🐔 

• Kevin Bacon and his brother are putting on a free concert at the Reston Town Center on Saturday night 🎸 

• Capital Art and Crafts Festivals | 225+ vendors and artists, plus thousands of attendees this weekend in Chantilly 🎨 

• Frights At Height | Horror-themed nighttime zip-lining at Go Ape in Springfield every weekend this month 🪓 

• City of Fairfax Fall Festival | the 48th annual festival is back on Saturday at the Old Town Square in Fairfax 🍁 

• Clifton Day 2024 | celebrating the town of Clifton for the 56th year in a row on Sunday 🥳 

• Lucketts Fall Market | the wildly popular event is back for the 25th year in a row in Berryville VA this weekend 🎃 

• Udit Narayan will be performing at Capital One Hall in Tysons on Sunday evening 🎙️ 

• Purcellville Fall Festival | a Saturday full of live music, food and drink, and carnival games at Dillon’s Woods 🎪 

• Films in the Park | there’s going to be an outdoor screening of Pixar’s Coco (2017) at Strawberry Park on Sunday 🎞️ 

• Carnival @ LoCo Fairgrounds | Dreamland Amusements is in Loudoun County until Saturday 🎡 

• Adult Corn Maze | A corn maze event for adults only, complete with bonfires, cider, and snacks. This weekend and next at Great Country Farms in Bluemont 🌽 

• Ethiopian Fall Festival | a family-friendly celebration of the local Ethiopian community at Waterfront Park in Alexandria 🇪🇹 

• Old Town Oyster Week | the 5th annual shucking competition is back in Alexandria until the 20th 🦪 

• White House Garden Tours are open to the public again — here’s how you can get tickets 🏛️

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