Mirror-Bodied AI Bot Joins Romania’s Government As An Advisor
Romania’s government is saying hello to a new member of parliament in the form of an artificially intelligent assistant named ‘Ion’.
Ion is taking up the role of honorary advisor after prime minister Nicolae Ciuca introduced the system. In a report from
The Washington Post, Ion comes to life in the shape of a mirror as a literal and metaphorical reflection of Romania’s citizens.
“Hello. You gave me life. I am Ion. Now, my role is to represent you. Like a mirror,” says Ion as it introduced itself during the press conference.
PM @NicolaeCiuca: As of today, the Government of 🇷🇴 Romania has the first government adviser running on AI, a good example of emerging technologies in public service.
— GuvernulRomâniei (@GuvernulRo) March 1, 2023
Congratulations to the 🇷🇴 researchers on this project that brings us closer to citizens! pic.twitter.com/yP5b5pOs5i
Ion is meant to act as a listening ear for the people. By that, it will comb through social media, picking up people’s grievances and complaints. It will then consolidate these opinions and feedback and translate them into policy ideas for the government to review.
But, of course, it will not make any decisions on its own and is said to be a voice for the people. Those who want to get their opinions directly can also head to its website to talk to Ion straight.
At the moment, it’s unclear how Ion will collect these data. According to The Washington Post, pundits such as Kris Shrishak, an expert on AI regulation at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, said that Romanians deserve a transparent approach to this new way of governing and need to be told how they are being monitored.
AI has seeped into just about every corner of our society as is. From art to medicine and even down to the wedding vows. With this introduction into politics, are we heading into a future that science fiction has repeatedly warned us about—or is it inevitable?
[via Futurism and The Washington Post, Photo 270914826 © Andrey Popov | Dreamstime.com]
