Fact-check: Did Ukrainian Government Unveil An AI Spokesperson Known as Victoria Shi?
Claims: A viral video circulating on various online platforms, including YouTube, has sparked claims that the Ukrainian Government has unveiled an AI Spokesperson.
Full Text: The video has generated considerable buzz and speculation among users, with some questioning the authenticity of these claims and others intrigued by the potential implications of such a development.
Media report has it that “Ukraine presented an AI-generated spokesperson called Victoria Shi who will make official statements on behalf of its foreign ministry.”
The video’s contents and origin remain unclear, though its rapid spread on various online platforms suggests that it captured the interest of a significant number of people within a short time frame.
In the video footage, the persona could be heard and seen saying, “Dear media and members of the public, I welcome you. My name is Victoria Shi, I have been created by the ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine using artificial intelligence to provide you with timely and high quality on consular affairs. I am a digital person, that means that the text you hear was not read by a real person, it was generated by an artificial intelligence. I will carry out a number of tasks, first and foremost, I will inform the public providing timely and verified information from the Ukraine consular service. I will provide journalists with updates about the work of the consuls in protecting the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad.
“At the bottom corner of this video you can see a QR code that leads to the official website of the ministry of foreign affairs where the text of this statement is posted…
“The only original with my statement are those that contain such a code and a link to the official website of the ministry with the Same comment in a text form. With my appointment, we are taking a step into the future. I look forward to our fruitful corporation.”
What is an AI Spokesperson?
An AI Spokesperson is essentially a virtual digital assistant that specializes in representing a brand, company and or a government institution. It is a virtual assistant providing information and solutions on the company or government’s behalf.
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According to a media report, “the AI spokesperson is to ‘provide timely updates’ amid the war with Russia that looks like a real-life influencer.”
Verification: In an effort to verify the claims made in the viral video, PRNigeria fact-check team utilized reverse image search technology to analyze the footage and determine its authenticity, by using key-frame extraction, which led to an existing media report by some international online media, particularly the New York post, detailing the same claims.
The viral video, lasting just one minute and four seconds, began circulating on social media platforms during the first week of May 2024, garnering widespread attention and sparking curiosity among users.
According to a media report, in a historic first for the global diplomatic community, Ukraine has announced the deployment of a digital spokesperson to communicate the country’s position on international affairs. Named “Shi,” the spokesperson is visually generated through AI technology but will still deliver written statements composed by human officials.
Also in a report by UK’s the Guardian, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Shi’s role will be primarily visual, affirming that the statements delivered will be “written and verified by real people” and “only the visual part that the AI helps [them] generate.”
Additionally, it was reported by Kyiv Post that, “The virtual consular representative called Victoriya Shi was created based on the likeness of Rosalie Nombre, a Ukrainian singer and media personality of presumably mixed heritage born in Donetsk who garnered popularity among Ukrainians as a participant in Holostyak, the Ukrainian version of The Bachelor reality show in Western countries.
PRNigeria fact-check team visited the official website of the ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine and discovered that the information is also published on the site. The statement reads in parts:
“For the first time in history, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has created a digital personality using artificial intelligence technologies to officially comment on consular information for the media.”
Conclusion: Findings by PRNigeria reveal enormous media reports and official statements from the Ukrainian government official channels announcing the development of an AI Spokesperson to comment on the country’s consular information for the media.
PRNigeria fact-check therefore conclude that the reports on the introduction of a digital spokesperson named Victoria Shi by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is TRUE.
PRNigeria.
