(Photo: YouTube ScreenGrab | TrimFeed)
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry will officially leverage an artificial intelligence-powered spokesperson to make official statements and interact with the press.
The ministry announced on Wednesday that, although humans will still author its statements, it would utilize a digital spokesperson to read its remarks for the first time in history.
The representative identified herself as Victoria Shi, a digital person, in a presentation shared on social media while wearing a dark suit.
As she speaks, the figure makes hand gestures and head movements.
The foreign ministry's press office informed sources that the statements made by Shi would be written and confirmed by actual people rather than by artificial intelligence.
According to the foreign ministry, AI is simply used to help create the spokesperson's visual elements.
Based on the likeness of Rosalie Nombre, a well-known Ukrainian singer and media personality born in Donetsk and likely of mixed heritage, Victoriya Shi, the virtual consular representative, was created.
Rosalie Nombre gained popularity among Ukrainians as a contestant on Holostyak, the Ukrainian equivalent of The Bachelor in Western countries. Nombre consented to the "pro bono" use of her voice and likeness.
Read Also: Fighting Fake News: EU Considers Sanctions Against Meta for Election Concerns
Ukraine's Efforts Against Counterfeits
The government issued a preview video in which the virtual representative explained her responsibilities. The ministry claimed to have used a variety of tactics to combat "digital counterfeiting," such as QR codes that direct users to the ministry's official declarations to verify the veracity.
The ministry stated that AI was utilized to save time and money while facilitating procedures during its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is becoming more intense.
According to reports, Russian military units in Ukraine are using SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet terminals to coordinate strikes and simplify communication in the eastern areas of Ukraine and Crimea.
These stations also control drones and other military technology in combat.
These terminals can communicate with Russian soldiers even though Starlink devices are prohibited in Russia because of a robust black market network.
Sources describe the complex activities of black market vendors who bring the terminals into the nation illegally and ensure they go to the front lines.
Unexpectedly, a number of these terminals were first bought on eBay, suggesting a convoluted supply chain that made it easier for them to be distributed illegally.
According to reports, Starlink terminals are being traded illegally from Sudan to occupied Ukraine.
Ukraine is still pushing back against Russia, but the country is still having trouble recovering from the increased bombing that destroyed the country's energy infrastructure, crippled its economy, and depleted the confidence of its citizens.
Employees allegedly fear they won't win the race to get ready for winter unless partners develop air defense systems similar to the Patriots manufactured in the United States to prevent Russian strikes from wreaking further havoc on already damaged sites.
Related Article: UK Hackathon Focuses on Civilian Tech Solutions for Ukraine's Defense
(Photo : Tech Times)
