Romanian politician invites an AI bot to advise the government and help capture ‘the opinions and desires’ of citizens, reports say

• Romania’s prime minister has invited an AI bot to assist the government as an “honorary advisor.”
• The bot described itself as a “mirror” for the Romanian people in a demonstration, per The Guardian.
• Nicolae Ciucă introduced the bot and hailed it as a world first on Wednesday. 

Romania’s prime minister, Nicolae Ciucă, has invited an AI bot to assist the government as an “honorary advisor.”

Ciucă introduced the bot on Wednesday, hailing it as a world first, according to a video shared by local media.

Developed by local researchers, the technology uses artificial intelligence to “quickly and automatically capture the opinions and desires” of Romanian citizens, Ciucă said, per Politico.

The bot will scan social media to synthesize public opinion for the government in real-time and residents would also be able to submit ideas through an accompanying website, per The Guardian.

The bot, which is named Ion, described itself as a “mirror” for the Romanian people in a demonstration, according to the news outlet. “Hi, you gave me life and my role is now to represent you,” the bot said at the launch. “What should I know about Romania?”

“I have the conviction that the use of AI should not be an option but an obligation to make better-informed decisions,” Ciuca said, per reports.

The website for Ion crashed shortly after the launch but has since been restored, local outlet Romanian Insider reported. 

Located in Eastern Europe, Romania has a thriving tech startup scene. VCs have been flocking to central and eastern Europe after success stories such as Skype and Romania-based UiPath, Insider reported.

The region has seen rapidly growing investor enthusiasm.