Ukraine breaks new ground with AI
05 May 2024
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA) has introduced Victoria Shi, a digital persona and AI-generated spokesperson who will represent the MFA and issue official statements on its behalf.
Victoria Shi, the spokesperson for consular affairs, is based on a real person – Ukrainian singer and influencer Rosalie Nombre – who is participating in the MFA project, pro bono, as a prototype.
Victoria’s comments will be disseminated through Ukraine's foreign affairs ministry website, social media channels, and shared with journalists by the MFA press office.
According to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, AI technologies were not adopted by the MFA "on a whim," but are a necessity during wartime, allowing for efficient dissemination of consular information in over 30 languages on a 24/7 basis while conserving time and resources.
 | Daria Matviichuk Unlike many other countries, which utilise AI primarily to streamline procedural tasks, Ukraine is the first country to use AI technology to create an official government spokesperson. Nevertheless, numerous governments, both European and non-European alike, have expressed their intent to further develop and deploy AI within their governmental frameworks. AI has already been employed by various countries for digital government technology platforms, citizen digital ID systems, process streamlining, and online chatbots to facilitate faster responses. However, regardless of the stage at which AI is implemented, governments must continuously strive to understand and enhance its capabilities to ensure its productive integration and proper use to prevent biases or misuse. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE, and the United Kingdom have established centralised AI authorities to harness the potential of the technology. Similarly, countries like Estonia, Austria, and Finland have actively pursued AI deployment in official processes, including the implementation of e-voting systems and digital ID cards. |
Welcome to The European Correspondent
Europe lacks true European media: in Germany alone, there are more media devoted exclusively to football than news outlets specialising on Europe. The established players mainly focus on Brussels and European institutions. The European Correspondent aims to change that. We cover the whole of Europe and write for a community of citizens who want to look beyond their own national borders. Without European journalism, there is no European civil society.
〉Read our manifesto
〉The stories we would like to write for you
Become a donor!
The European Correspondent is fully funded by its readers. We can only produce the newsletter with your support - and work towards the bigger project: building true European media. Donate now!
With your help, we can create true European journalism. Thank you!
We are non-profit. Every donated € goes directly into The European Correspondent.