The candidate for mayor of Katowice wants the city to be run by a supercomputer

On the website of the State Election Commission (PKW), 39-year-old Marek Strzalkowski (Marek Stšalkovskis), who works in the IT sector, is listed as one of the five mayoral candidates.

He told the PAP news agency on Friday that he wants Katowice to become the first city in Poland to be run not by politicians but by a supercomputer.

Mr Strzalkowski said the “Gaia System” – part of his election committee’s “Gaia System – Today’s Youth for the Future” – was derived from the name of the computer system that would be used to manage the city.

“The goal is to combine data into a single system that will increase transparency, facilitate access to information and empower citizens to participate in the decision-making process,” he said, adding that instead of making decisions, the system would suggest the best options based on data analysis.

Mr. Strzalkowski claims that the first prototypes are ready, and the final version would be completed following its integration into municipal units.

He added that the only condition his committee imposes on city council candidates is that they should be honest, and if they are, the IT system would take care of everything else, according to the candidate.

Local government elections in Poland will be held next month.