Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has unveiled Victoria Shi, an AI spokesperson. The first country to use an AI avatar for official government communication.
- Shi is based on the likeness of Ukrainian singer and influencer Rosalie Nombre.
- Human-written statements will be delivered by Shi, who will also use gestures for a more natural presentation.
- To address deepfake concerns, each of Shi’s videos will include a QR code linking to the corresponding text on the Ministry’s website.
The Ministry introduced Shi through a video posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
👋 Meet Victoria Shi — a digital representative of the MFA of Ukraine, created using AI to provide timely updates on consular affairs!
— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) May 1, 2024
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
“Meet Victoria Shi AI Spokesperson — a digital representative of the MFA of Ukraine. Created using AI to provide timely updates on consular affairs!” the Ministry’s tweet said.
They further clarified, “The MFA of Ukraine has presented a digital persona that will officially comment for the media.”
To ensure authenticity, the Ministry will take steps to combat potential deepfakes. Every video featuring Shi will contain a unique QR code that links to the official text version on the Ministry’s website.
This innovative move by Ukraine signifies the growing potential of artificial intelligence in various sectors, including government communication. It will be interesting to see how other countries respond to this development.
