Ukraine Debuts AI-Generated Foreign Ministry “Spokeswoman”

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) introduced a new “spokeswoman” Wednesday named “Victoria Shi” who has the distinction of being the world’s first digital diplomat. Shi is a simulation created by artificial intelligence (AI) software.

“My name symbolizes our main goal – the victory of Ukraine – and the name of the artificial intelligence that created me,” the digital “spokeswoman” said in its first video address.

“Shi” is an abbreviation for Stuchnyi Intelekt, the Ukrainian term for artificial intelligence.

“My work will be to bring to the public the operational and verified information of the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine,” Shi said. “I will inform journalists about the work of consuls to protect the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad, respond to incidents or emergencies, and other news.”

Shi’s avatar of a woman wearing a dark suit was modeled after a Ukrainian singer named Rosalie Nombre, who contributed her likeness without asking for compensation. Nombre hails from Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine that is now under Russian control.

A press release from MFA stressed that Nombre has no further connection to the project and should be considered a separate entity from Shi, who will read press releases prepared by ministry officials.

“Using an AI-generated digital person for commenting on consular issues is primarily about saving time and resources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Real diplomats will be able to be more effective and focus on other tasks of assisting citizens,” explained Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Kuleba said the rollout was also part of his ministry’s effort to embrace “advanced technology” such as artificial intelligence.

“Diplomacy, not only in Ukraine, but throughout the world, has always been a conservative field that was the last to introduce innovations. We are changing that,” he observed.

“Ukrainian diplomacy is now strengthening its capabilities and making a technological leap, which no diplomatic service in the world has yet made,” he said.

The MFA said security measures have been taken to ensure Shi will not be hacked, including a QR code placed in each of her videos that links to the corresponding ministry press release, giving viewers an easy way to tell that every video from Shi is authentic.

The ministry also said it intends to retain a human spokesperson to work alongside Shi. The latest spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, resigned in March to take a post as Ukraine’s Consul General in Canada. MFA is holding a competition to select his replacement.

Victoria Shi was created by two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Nazovni Tech and a team of programmers called the Game Changers.

The Game Changers previously helped MFA create a virtual-reality project called “Living the War” that was intended to help people around the world understand the harsh realities of life under Russian aggression. MFA expressed hopes that the VR project would attract additional financial and military support for Ukraine, as well as increased humanitarian aid for people in the war zone. A traveling exhibit of the VR simulation was hosted by the German Bundestag in September.

Although Ukraine is touting Shi as the first digital “spokeswoman” to represent a nation’s foreign ministry, the idea of using AI-generated avatars to deliver news or advertise products is not new. Japan was an early leader in using computer-animated characters to fill all sorts of public speaking positions, from news and advertising to classroom lectures. Japan even has a prototype convenience store run by computer-generated characters.

Japan’s Minister for Digital Reform, Taro Kono, was transformed into a digital avatar in October 2022. “Robo-Kono,” as the avatar was playfully dubbed, is widely considered to be the first AI creation to fill a government post by serving as a spokesperson for the digital minister. Kono joked that he would like to have Robo-Kono sit in for him at budget meetings, too.

Among Victoria Shi’s first assignments as spokesbot will be handling press releases pertaining to consular services, which were controversially suspended for military-age Ukrainian men living abroad last week. 

Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country without special permission, a restriction imposed when President Volodomyr Zelensky declared martial law in response to the Russian invasion. Zelensky has signed laws passed by the Ukrainian parliament to extend the state of martial law several times since then.

MFA clarified on Tuesday that the ban on consular services is only “temporary,” as “the arrangements for updating and verifying military records for men of conscription age are currently being determined.” A new law covering military mobilization is due to take effect on May 18.

“How it looks like now: A man of conscription age went abroad, showing his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state. It does not work this way. Our country is at war,” Foreign Minister Kuleba said in defense of the ban.