The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has revealed they will use an AI-generated spokesperson to provide public updates on the country’s ongoing war against Russia.
The AI spox, dubbed Victoria Shi, made its debut on the Ministry’s social media accounts on Wednesday, with the Ukraine military insisting it was borne out of a necessity to provide “timely updates” on the fast-moving war.
? Meet Victoria Shi — a digital representative of the MFA of Ukraine, created using AI to provide timely updates on consular affairs!
For the first time in history, the MFA of Ukraine has presented a digital persona that will officially comment for the media. pic.twitter.com/KTtuCVR1ku
— MFA of Ukraine ?? (@MFA_Ukraine) May 1, 2024
In the video, Shi claims she was designed to protect “the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad.”
“My job will be to report operational and verified information of the consular department of the MFA of Ukraine to the public,” Shi states.
“I will inform journalists of news about the work of consuls in protecting the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad, responding to incidents or emergency situations and other news.”
Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba characterized the country’s use of AI as “not a whim, but a requirement of wartime.”
“The use of a digital person generated by artificial intelligence for consular commenting is primarily a saving of time and resources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Kuleba said in a statement. “Real diplomats will be able to be more effective and focus on other tasks of providing assistance to citizens.”
The spokesperson was designed to resemble Ukraine singer and influencer Rosalie Nombre.
“I want to start with the most important thing – I thank my country that we are going forward,” Nombre wrote on Instagram, according to an English Google translation.
“Like it or not, the future will come to everyone anyway. And I am glad that I became the prototype of the first digital state representative.”
