‘ION’ – Romania unveils world’s first AI 'advisor' to PM

Romania’s Nicolae Ciuca Prime Minister has unveiled his artificial intelligence-based (AI) assistant named “Ion”, the first of its kind in the world.

The premier introduced his new assistant during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, stating "I invite Ion to say a few words". He said its task will be to scan social networks to inform the government “in real time of Romanians’ proposals and wishes”.

 “Hi, you gave me life and my role is now to represent you, like a mirror,” Ion’s calm voice said at the launch. “What should I know about Romania?” the mirror-like structure said in reply.

It “will use technology and artificial intelligence to capture opinions in society” using “data publicly available on social networks”, international media cited government document as saying.

“I have the conviction that the use of AI should not be an option but an obligation to make better informed decisions,” Ciuca said.

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