Tokyo, 7 June, /AJMEDIA/
There’s been a lot of talk about AI and its potential dangers for the worldwide community. However, for one mayor in Japan, the new technology is being embraced as a way to become a full-blown member of that global community, as it enables him to speak fluent English without having to even learn a word of it.
The new technology is being put to use in press conference videos by Yokosuka City Mayor Katsuaki Uechi that are designed to disseminate information to the local community. With Yokosuka being home to Japan’s largest U.S. naval base, the city is keen to increase its English-language communications, incorporating AI into its arsenal by using it to create an avatar of the mayor that speaks fluent English.
▼ The results are mind-blowing, with the first video, released in April, showing just how well it mimics the mayor, matching both his appearance and voice, with the mouth even moving perfectly to match the shape of the English words being spoken.
When the video was first unveiled at a press conference at Yokosuka City Hall on April 23, Mayor Uechi, who says he barely speaks English, told reporters he was impressed by the avatar and the way it made him look like a fluent English speaker. He also expressed his desire for it to do good, with plans for it to share important information regarding disaster prevention measures and to help people during times of disaster, while also presenting it to the world as “a message for peace”.
