Romania’s prime minister, Nicolae Ciuca, is using artificial intelligence to tell him what people are thinking in real time.
Ciuca has introduced a new AI assistant called Ion to his team as his “new honorary adviser,” which has been described as “the first government adviser to use artificial intelligence”.
When launching the AI assistant, which was developed by Romanian researchers, Ion said: “Hi, you gave me life and my role is now to represent you, like a mirror. What should I know about Romania?”
Ion “will use technology and artificial intelligence to capture opinions in society” using “data publicly available on social networks”, according to a government document detailing the project.
People in Romania will also be able to chat with Ion on the project’s website and social media. The Romanian public will be able to interact with Ion at public events, where it will be represented with a mirror-like robot.
“I have the conviction that the use of AI should not be an option but an obligation to make better informed decisions,” Ciuca said.
The public will be asked to share their opinions on subjects like “government activity, events of national importance, the standard of living, sports and entertainment activities, health or food-related topics, energy, and more”.
Ion’s website says that social media comments “provide strong clues about the degree of citizen satisfaction”.
The Romanian government’s website also says that “in the age of technology,” it should not only be private companies that represent “hubs of innovation and information management, but also public institutions.”
Ion’s unveiling came as Romania and Moldova pledged on Wednesday to boost economic ties following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Bucharest reiterated support for Chi?in?u’s bid to join the European Union.